We’re Celebrating Spring in our Victory Garden!

Louisiana Master Gardener and Museum volunteer, Melissa Luer, shows students that broccoli flowers are great bee-attractors. Perfect for pollinating the rest of the garden!

The time change and warmer temperatures means that spring is steadily approaching (however, there’s been little respite from hot weather in New Orleans ).  The welcome of spring marks the kick-off of our Victory Garden Field Trip. Yesterday, we dodged the raindrops and welcomed a home school group from Jackson, Mississippi.

The field trip started out in the education classroom, where students brainstormed the meaning of team work and how everyone on the home front worked together for victory.  We couldn’t have 20 million Victory Gardens during WWII without families and communities working together to tend and grow their own gardens across the country.

The group then traveled to the Museum galleries, where they were assigned to study one artifact and answer a few critical thinking questions. Here, they discovered how kids contributed to the war effort. The students examined the everyday sacrifices Americans made to support their country, from working double shifts in factories to even carpooling to work and school.

Museum volunteer Nick Rightor shows students that herbs aren’t just tasty, they smell good too!

The program ended in the Museum’s Victory Garden, where students really got their hands dirty. They learned the proper way to make compost, examined (and tasted!) the plants and herbs, and contributed to the garden by planting some spicy cayenne peppers.  After the group saw and participated in the care of our garden, they took some seeds with them and were encouraged to start their own Victory Garden at home.

Want to grow with us? Book your Victory Garden Field Trip today!

Out-of-town school groups can join in the fun by booking our Virtual Victory Garden videoconference!

Families! Interested in getting your hands dirty in the garden? Check out our full schedule of family workshops! Registration for April 28’s event opens on March 28.

Read previous Victory Garden posts.

Posted by Chrissy Gregg, Virtual Classroom Coordinator at The National WWII Museum.