Marjory’s Garden is more than just a garden. It’s a safe haven for students and teachers, fauna and flora, and so much more.
Ground was first broken on this project in May 2016 after dozens of portable classrooms were removed from a field behind Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD). Following the suggestion of science teachers Kyle Jeter and Sean Simpson, the principal at the time, Ty Thompson, allotted a long strip of land next to the tennis courts for the purposes of a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) project. Mr. Jeter, Mr. Simpson, and others began brainstorming ideas and created a sketch of what would become Marjory’s Garden.
When you walk into the garden, the first things you might see are the flower beds with eye-catching zinnias up front. These specific flowers are perfect for two of the garden sponsors, Mr. Jeter and Mr. Simpson, who teach astronomy. This is because zinnias were the first flower to ever be grown in space! If you like that fun fact (or learning in general), you should keep walking past the flower beds to the outdoor classroom.
The outdoor classroom is exactly what it sounds like, with a handful of benches all facing a stage for optimal teaching (covered by shade for those hot Florida days, of course). Many teachers love using this area as a change of setting during school hours, especially the STEM teachers. In fact, in the 2022-23 school year, there will be a botany class taught by Mr. Davis, and he will use the garden.
The outdoor classroom is also where the school hosts its garden movie nights. The Climate Change Club, for example, recently watched “The Lorax” in Marjory’s Garden. Along with movie nights, there are many other special events held in the garden, such as Astronomy Nights and a “Not-So-Scary Halloween” event hosted by Mrs. Herzfeld and the spectacular MSD Drama program. As you can see, Marjory’s Garden is as versatile as it is beautiful, which is why it is split up into different sections, or zones.
The zones consist of multiple areas including vegetable and flower beds, a butterfly garden, and a “food forest” created by Mrs. Beaty. There’s also a corn and okra field courtesy of Lt. Col. Mark Anders, and a giant bamboo cone supporting bean-sprouting vines (designed and built by Mr. Davis). There is a “Reflection Garden” with a small fountain and 17 large, polished stones, donated and built by Brightview Landscaping in 2018.
The garden is an officially recognized wildlife habitat as well. It is home to countless species of fauna, including mice, butterflies, bees, sawflies, rabbits, iguanas, and, recently, baby birds. The “Everglades Zone,” designed by Mr. Garner, features indigenous plants such as sawgrass and is a prime example of how the garden is nurturing our Florida ecosystem.
Other amenities include the “Little Library” (donated by MSD Media Center specialist Diana Haneski), the “Kindness Rocks” stand (maintained by Roxanne Haubrich and many others), and an area for games such as chess and cornhole. Finally, and perhaps most uniquely, Marjory’s Garden is home to an observatory with an 8-inch Cassegrain reflecting telescope!
Besides being a beloved location by MSD students and staff, there are academic benefits to visiting the garden: Students can earn two service hours for helping out in the garden on Sundays (beginning at 9 a.m. sharp). There are always a variety of projects to work on, such as maintaining the garden, planting new flora, painting, construction, and much more. The most meaningful day to volunteer is on the Day of Service, an annual event hosted by MSD on the anniversary of the tragedy. Students not only earn service hours but also contribute very special and meaningful work to the garden.
Another great feature of being a student at Marjory’s Garden is the lunch held in the garden every Wednesday. On garden lunch days, there is always a faculty member present. Dr. McBride, for example, supervises the latter of the two lunch periods weekly, and Mr. Davis supervises the first. The garden lunch gives students a mental refresher and brain break from school and academics. During these lunches, students usually relax in the outdoor classroom or sit on the benches placed throughout the garden.
The garden also uses hydroponics, with a nutrient solution and tubes of flowing water to grow an assortment of plants, such as lettuce and peppers. The original hydroponics was created by Mr. Simpson in 2016; however, the garden is going to team up with Mrs. Reich and her STEM classes to create a new and better version of hydroponics in the future. The school is also installing electrical outlets and a permanent water valve in the front of the garden, for powering lights and other electronics at night, and of course, pumps for the hydroponics. This is an expensive task, however, so a lot of donors were recruited to get the job done, including Eagles’ Haven, Cutler-Rader, Hard Rock Classic Casino, Broward Health, and Roman Consulting. Without School Board member Lori Alhadeff leading the fundraiser, this could not have been accomplished!
Marjory’s Garden continues to be a vibrant and beautiful green space at MSD, thanks to the amazing students, staff members, community volunteers, and donors. The faculty leadership team consists of Lt. Col. Anders, Mr. Cochenour, Mr. Davis, Mr. Garner, Mrs. Herzfeld, Mr. Jeter, Ms. McAuley, Mr. Simpson, and Mr. Walsh. A special thanks goes to Ken and Sharon Cutler for supporting the garden from the very beginning. Mr. Cutler is currently the vice mayor of Parkland and Mrs. Cutler is a long-time MSD business teacher and DECA advisor. The school is also extremely grateful to all of the community and parent volunteers. Marjory’s Garden is a very enjoyable learning space for all, and it couldn’t have been created without the support of the whole Eagle family.
If you’d like to support this dynamic project, please go to https://gofund.me/cccf2fc7 for the GoFundMe, managed by former MSD teacher (and garden guru) Stephanie Beaty.