A garden full of gratitude

Kenneth Culbert Elementary School was all smiles and tiny shovels on Saturday, Nov. 15, as students, families, and community partners gathered to break ground on the school’s brand-new Garden Lab—an outdoor learning space that promises to bring science, nature, and healthy habits to life.

The project, part of Loudoun County Public Schools’ Green Teams Initiative and cheerfully titled “From Seed to Salad: Growing Together,” is being made possible through a partnership with several local businesses, including Wren’s Rest Gardens, Abernethy & Spencer Greenhouse & Garden Center, Southern States, and Fielder’s Choice Baseball and Softball.

Beginning in fall 2025, the school’s inner courtyard will bloom into a hands-on learning hub where kindergarten, fifth-grade, and special education students can dig into real-world STEM lessons.

As they plant, water, and harvest a living salad garden, students will explore the plant life cycle, sustainable gardening practices, nutrition, and the joys of growing food together. The project encourages cross-grade mentorship and will bring in local gardeners, nutritionists, chefs, and families to help nurture young learners. Planned milestones include winter crop planting, indoor seed starting, spring transplanting, and a delicious “Plant to Plate” Family Night in June.

Kenneth Culbert Elementary extends a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who helped make this project possible. A special shout-out goes to Wren’s Rest Gardens, the lead sponsor, whose expertise and generosity have rooted this project from the start.

Additional thanks go to Abernethy & Spencer Greenhouse & Garden Center, Southern States, and Fielder’s Choice Baseball and Softball, along with the many volunteers and families who showed up ready to dig in. Their enthusiasm is planting the seeds for a future filled with hands-on learning, healthy habits, and strong community connections.

“There’s so much that one can learn from gardening that applies to many other situations in life; whether it’s students understanding what it takes to bring food to their plate every single day, applying science they’ve learned in the classroom to the real world, or grounding themselves in the cycles of nature. I am honored to support this project that inspires lifelong learning with the Kenneth Culbert Elementary Garden Lab,” said Lana Rohrmeier, owner of Wren’s Rest Gardens.

With the first shovels lifted and the soil officially turned, Kenneth Culbert Elementary’s Garden Lab is now on its way—and excitement is already sprouting. If the joy at the groundbreaking was any indication, this sunny courtyard classroom is about to become one of the school’s happiest and most inspiring places to learn and grow.