Learning Garden

 

Your contributions to our Lakeridge PTA Ask help support this program for our students.

 

 

  

About the lakeridge learning garden

The Lakeridge Garden is a special place where all students are invited to dig in, explore, and discover the joy of gardening during their Thursday lunch recess. Over the years, students have planted 600+ bulbs, thousands of seeds, 5 fruit trees, and countless vegetables, flowers, and fragrant plants. It truly is a garden grown by—and for—our kids!

No sign-up or fees are required—every student is welcome to join in the fun. To keep the garden thriving, we rely on parent volunteers to help guide students on Garden Days. You’ll leave with a smile after seeing the happy energy of kids harvesting garlic, planting bulbs, and picking flowers.  

 

Sign up here: Lakeridge Garden 2025-2026 for Thursdays from 12:15 to 1:30 PM.  No gardening experience needed.  Pick one day, or sign up for a bunch of days.  Guaranteed happy chaos, and worms!
 
There is a Family Garden Day on Sunday September 21, 2025 from 10:00 - 12:00.  Parents and kids will do repairs and upgrades to the garden space.  Sign up here. 


The garden features 19 raised beds across nine fun themes: Rainbow, Washington State Crops, Butterfly, Hummingbird, Native Plants, Moonlight, Scented, Halloween, and Salad.  Next time you’re on campus, take a stroll behind the library and enjoy a tour of this magical outdoor classroom.

 

 

 

  

HISTORY OF THE LAKERIDGE LEARNING GARDEN

Without the help of incredible parents, the garden as we know it would not exist. We are one of the few schools in our area that can proudly boast such a huge, lush and prosperous garden.

Here is our learning garden’s history:

  • The Lakeridge Learning Garden in its current form started in 2009.  It was inspired by the garden in the northwest corner of the Lakeridge campus that was itself the creation of some tireless Lakeridge volunteers: Michelle Lambe, who continued to give freely of her time long after her children had graduated from Mercer Island’s schools, Gordon Paulson, a local King County Master Gardener who can be seen most weekends at the MI Farmer’s Market, and Andrea Pirzo-Birolli. Then, Sarah Smith, Liz Evans and Maryellen Johnson embraced Michelle’s concept and wanted to expand it to something that every child at Lakeridge would benefit from. They partnered with Lakeridge principal, Fred Rundle, and recruited parents and volunteers with specific areas of expertise, including Kaarina AuFranc and Justin Davis. Off-Island schools with recognized gardening programs were toured. Grants were applied for. 
  • Garden designs were developed and approved and the Lakeridge Learning Garden was built in the central courtyard to ensure adequate light and easy access to water. Organized volunteer work parties, composed of Lakeridge families both young and old, constructed a total of 19 beds. Teachers advised parent volunteers which of their classroom curricula were suited to hands-on application in the garden. With this direction, Liz, Maryellen and Sarah and other Lakeridge parents enthusiastically designed and presented garden curriculum and  “lab” units applying classroom lessons:
    • First graders learned to plant a garden to sustain the life cycle of a butterfly.
    • Second graders tested the theories of organisms.
    • Third graders explored the components of soil.
    • Fourth graders built three “Sister Gardens” to complement their Native American unit in class.
    • Fifth graders grew vegetables which were studied in their nutrition unit.
  • Each year since its inception, the Learning Garden has been sustained with generous support from the PTA and the volunteer efforts of many in our community. Along the way, a garden shed and worm bins have been added. Eagle Scouts built an arbor to designate a grand entrance as well as benches for students to enjoy and a bat box to study.
  • The Lakeridge Learning Garden transitioned to an afternoon garden club for students with support from a new cohort of parent volunteers under the dedicated stewardship of Nancy Weil. It is thrilling to see the gift of an earlier generation embraced by today’s students, educators and parents as the teaching asset it was intended to be.
  • The Lakeridge Learning Garden was revitalized in 2022 with fresh soil and a new planting plan.  
    • There are 9 themes across the 19 beds.  Those garden themes are:  Rainbow, Washington State Crops, Butterfly, Hummingbird, Native Plants, Moonlight, Scented, Halloween, and Salad.  As much as possible, plants were chosen to have an impact during the school year. It is an edible-ornamental garden, combining visual impact, groupings of plants that have a common theme, and edibles for seeing how food is grown. The garden types and plants were chosen to give the garden beds some durability so that they don’t need to be started from scratch every year.   
    • All students were welcomed to participate in the garden during their Thursday lunch recesses (Sept, Oct, March through June).  There was no club to join or student fees, and students can be gardeners once or over and over again.  
    • The garden was co-managed by Julie Day and Samantha Noonan, both King County Master Gardeners, along with a core group of parent volunteers including Shannon Hernandez McIntyre, Orawan Anuntakul, and Ly-Lan McCarthy.
  • The Lakeridge Learning Garden offers a complete and affirming example of a project conceived to be shared with future generations succeeding in its mission.