On April 8, 2019, D&B Garden Center students had the pleasure of working with Las Adelfas Circle Garden Club for the third time. The Las Adelfas Circle is a local St. Augustine garden club with a long history, organized way back in 1939!
Previous beautification projects on the FSDB campus included a garden and bench near the Walker Annex building and three raised beds located just outside Kirk Auditorium. The raised beds include an herb garden for FSDB Culinary Arts students’ use in cuisine; a flower garden for viewing pleasure; and a pollinator garden for bees and butterflies.
Las Adelfas contacted D&B Garden Center Instructor Jenny Henningsen Palmer years ago. Palmer is grateful that they reached out to her because the students learn many things from and greatly enjoy these botanical collaborations.
She explained, “It’s important for students to see community groups coming to campus and working side-by-side with them, doing things to beautify our campus.”
The Las Adelfas Circle volunteers love meeting and working with FSDB students—the students are their favorite part! According to Ms. Palmer, “Some students who have a lot of gardening knowledge share it with the ladies, getting satisfaction from what they know and passing it on or demonstrating it.”
The current beautification project involved the creation of multiple colorful gardens around Walker Hall, including a collaboration with local artist Manila Clough. She first became interested in art for visually impaired students after volunteering in the Blind Department in 2006 under the direction of former substitute teacher Kathy Marquis. Clough’s experiences were a catalyst for creating a colorful, tactile sunflower mosaic for the new Walker Hall gardens that can be enjoyed by both deaf/hard of hearing and blind/visually impaired students. Clough became a mosaic artist at the age of 55. You can view her work on her Facebook Page (Manila Clough Mosaics). If you have time, walk around Kirk Auditorium, Walker Hall, and Walker Annex area to see these beautification projects for yourself!
By Christi Boortz, Instructional Services
About FSDB
The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind is a tuition-free state public school and outreach center available to eligible Pre-K and K-12 students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired, or deafblind. At FSDB, students learn how to do more, be more, and achieve more, fulfilling our vision of preparing them for a lifetime of success. FSDB gratefully accepts private donations to support vital programs that directly benefit students and are not paid by state general revenue funds. For a campus tour or to inquire about eligibility for enrollment, contact FSDB Parent Services at 904-827-2212 voice or 904-201-4527 videophone. For more information, visit www.fsdbk12.org
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