Last May, Cori Reed, SSD teacher, and her nine students planted marigolds, corn and tomatoes for their home grown garden, outside MHS near the glass bridge.

Parents donated gardening supplies, and Reed provided two raised planter boxes.

This year they planted sunflowers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers. They also attempted zucchini, but it didn’t work out, Reed said. They also have a pineapple brought in from Hawaii. Everything planted is organic.

The sweet potatoes were a major success: the class started with one potato and ended with a crop of 35. The class made chips and mashed potatoes out of the sweet potatoes, which they served to the school principals.

“They absolutely love it,” Reed said. “It is a lifelong hobby.”

The students weed the garden and water it every other day.

This year’s drought and beetle infestation killed the zucchini and also destroyed and withered some of the other plants in the boxes. However, among the live crops are green tomatoes, which they want to fry in order to eat.

Ryan Harmon, a sophomore in Reed’s class, also works hard to keep the garden running right.

“We plant, water, weed and give the plants lots of love,” Harmon said.

The drought ruined this year’s corn crop and forced the class to water plants more often than every other day, Harmon said.

Next year’s plan is to try growing a variety herbs and green beans, as well as strawberries and blueberries.

Reed said for next year, Home Depot promised to donate two more raised gardening boxes to the garden and mulch for the new part of the garden.