Blayton Garden - A Community Space for Learning, Growing, and Connecting
Blayton Garden is a dynamic educational garden designed to serve two meaningful purposes: to support the continuing education of Master Gardeners and to enrich the hands-on learning experiences of local students. This collaborative space bridges generations through shared knowledge, environmental stewardship, and a strong commitment to cultivating lifelong learning and community connection through gardening.
For Master Gardeners, Blayton Garden functions as a living classroom. It offers a space to practice advanced techniques, experiment with managing seasonal vegetable beds to nurturing perennials and maintaining a thriving pollinator habitat.
At the same time, the garden serves as a vibrant outdoor classroom for students at J.Blaine Blayton Elementary School, offering them a unique, hands-on connection to science, nature, and healthy food. Our features—such as a Sensory Garden, raised vegetable beds, pollinator gardens, and plant displays—are designed to inspire curiosity and engagement in young learners. With the guidance of Master Gardeners and educators, students learn about plant life cycles, ecosystems, nutrition, and sustainability in a tangible and memorable way.
More than just a garden, Blayton Garden is a hub for learning, collaboration, and connection.
We invite Master Gardeners and community members to join us in cultivating this special space—whether through volunteering, mentoring, or simply stopping by to explore what’s in bloom.
If you would like to visit Blayton Garden, please email [email protected]
Clara Bryd Baker School Garden
Growing Minds: A Hands-On Gardening Club with Extension Master Gardeners. Through the 
support of our dedicated local Extension Master Gardeners, students at Clara Bryd Baker Elementary School get the unique opportunity to dive into the wonders of gardening. Each semester, 10-20 enthusiastic 3rd to 5th graders join our master gardeners for an hour of hands-on learning each week, exploring topics such as seeds, germination, vegetable identification, soil health, composting, and garden care—all guided by knowledgeable gardening mentors.
This program began as part of the School Board’s 7-week after-school club initiative (SHIP) and continues throughout the semester as a dedicated School Club, allowing students to deepen their understanding and practical skills. Extension Master Gardeners also help extend our impact, leading interactive lessons for first graders and other classes, especially around Earth Day, encouraging even more students to connect with nature.
Gardening fosters responsibility, patience, and environmental awareness, sparking curiosity and teamwork. With the expertise and passion of our Extension Master Gardeners, we hope to inspire students to become lifelong gardeners, learning to nurture both plants and their environment.
Mattey’s Garden
Aerial view of Mattey's Garden
Mattey’s Garden at Matthew Whaley Elementary School is a thriving outdoor classroom where students connect with nature, learning, and each other. Since its dedication in 1999, the garden has been a hands-on educational space that enhances classroom instruction and fosters curiosity across all grade levels.
Kindergarteners begin their garden journey by exploring herbs through their senses—seeing, smelling, touching, tasting, and listening—while first graders dive into gardening through literature. They plant, care for, and harvest crops, which they later enjoy in the school cafeteria, linking reading, science, and nutrition in a meaningful way. Second grade students raise monarch butterflies in their classrooms and release them into the garden, experiencing the wonder of transformation and stewardship. Students in third through fifth grades use the garden to support science and interdisciplinary studies, applying classroom concepts in a living environment.
Beyond core academics, the garden is a creative space for art, music, and library programs. Teachers use it for sketching, rhythm and composition exercises, and literacy enrichment. Special education and inclusion staff rely on the garden as a peaceful retreat for sensory engagement and emotional support, while school staff often enjoy it as a quiet place to recharge during lunch breaks. After school, the garden becomes a joyful gathering spot—children meet friends, watch goldfish in the pond, or play tic-tac-toe in the whimsical Fairy Garden.
Community Support and Sustainability
Mattey’s Garden was initially built through the generous support of local organizations and individuals, including the Williamsburg Garden Club, Williamsburg/James City County Master Gardeners, the Williamsburg Tercentenary Commission, the Williamsburg Kiwanis Club, Matthew Whaley PTA, the Clark Foundation, the Christopher Wren Association, Boy Scout Troop 103, the Peninsula Home Builders Association, and countless community volunteers. In 2001, the garden received the City of Williamsburg’s Beautification Award for its impact and design.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2024, Mattey’s underwent a complete renovation in 2023. Led by the dedicated volunteers of the Williamsburg/James City County Master Gardeners and funded through grants, donations, and plant sales, the renovation ensured that Mattey’s Garden will continue to flourish for generations to come.
Mattey’s Garden is dedicated to bringing the beauty of nature and the joy of gardening to every child at the school and welcoming the many families, educators, and visitors who experience its beauty each year.
Matthew Whaley Elementary School 301 Scotland St, Williamsburg, VA 23185