Mattey’s Garden
Mattey's Garden
This garden is a hands-on outdoor classroom at Matthew Whaley Elementary, aligning the science curriculum and Standards of Learning (SOLs) with gardening activities. Master Gardeners and volunteers from the Herb Society of America help kindergarteners learn about seeds by growing salad vegetables and herbs. The kindergarteners also have a butterfly garden. First graders are involved in the Master Gardener Seeds of Learning Project, raising their own plants, and reading literature about gardening and plants.
Second graders work and study in the garden with the Roots and Shoots program. Third graders do a test garden with loam, clay and sand. Sugar snap peas and decorative gourds are also grown in that area. Gourds are harvested the following fall to be made into birdhouses. Fourth graders plant and harvest Virginia crops. Fifth graders help prepare the garden for planting in the spring and put the garden to bed in the fall. Parents and other community volunteers also assist in all phases of the garden. Matthew Whaley Elementary School 301 Scotland St, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Blayton School Garden
The Blayton School Garden is a cooperative hands-on project that provides a positive learning experience for Master Gardeners, students, and J. Blaine Blayton Elementary School teachers.
It offers students in grades 3 – 5 an opportunity to plant, grow, harvest and eat vegetables and fruits grown without herbicides and pesticides. Students are taught gardening basics, including proper techniques for seed starting, transplanting, watering, fertilizing, pollination, composting and mulching. Students experience the pleasure of eating what they plant and harvest. In addition, presentations on bees, butterflies, cotton spinning and flax production are offered.
Master Gardeners work with small groups of kids in the garden during the fall and spring semesters. Typically, the Garden Club meets for 12 weeks each semester at 4:00 p.m. on Mondays. When students and faculty are unavailable, master gardeners grow and maintain the garden. Produce from the garden is either eaten by the students during the Garden Club, used by the school cafeteria, or given to FISH.
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.
Seeds of Learning
The Seeds of Learning project involves approximately 900 first-grade students in the nine Williamsburg-James City County Elementary Schools. A team of Master Gardeners and Intern volunteers presents the program to each class of 18-23 students in all first-grade classes. The objective is to introduce students to gardening using the Virginia Standards of Learning Science curriculum as a guide.
The lessons are designed to assist the teachers in meeting the first-grade SOL requirements regarding plants using hands-on interactive activities. Master Gardeners teach children about different types of seeds, growing requirements (soil, water, sun, and air), and how plants grow.
The Seeds of Learning Project presents science concepts in a clear, non-threatening manner while meeting the Standards of Learning concerning plants for the first grade. The Seeds of Learning project is conducted from April through early May.