Author: Advyon

When people think of gardens, most picture in-ground plots or raised beds. However, not everyone has that option—including seven-year-old Olivier Perez of North Charleston, South Carolina. He and his parents live in an apartment with a balcony, but after volunteering at the Katie’s Krops flagship garden in nearby Summerville and attending children’s classes there, he knew he wanted to be one of our gardeners and grow food at home to donate.

Fortunately, his parents were prepared for this. During the pandemic, they decided to become more self-sufficient and purchased three hydroponic tower gardens to grow some of their own food. Not only did this give them greater food security, but it also inspired four-year-old Olivier to eat more vegetables, especially cucumbers.

After losing her job right before the pandemic, Patrycja became a stay-at-home mom and now homeschools Olivier, teaching him how to grow and care for their gardens. He enjoys organizing and planting seeds—two of his favorite tasks—and takes part in harvesting and donating most of their produce to the Impact Center at Cathedral Church. Their donations supplement grocery store contributions and are distributed twice a week to those in need, along with items such as clothing and furniture.

With two towers on their balcony during the nearly year-round growing season and another one indoors under grow lights, Olivier is able to grow a wide variety of food, including cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, basil, collards, lettuce, bok choy, Swiss chard, and other greens. In addition to harvesting when the produce is mature, Olivier ensures there is enough water and mineral solution in the reservoir for when the automatic timer activates the pump to water and nourish the plants.

Tower gardens are not without challenges, though. They couldn’t prevent bugs from getting to the zucchini or protect the eggplant when it was planted too late and exposed to the cold. To help with pest control, they spray neem oil and other essential oils on the plants to prevent further infestations.

Katie’s Krops is thrilled to have Olivier as one of our young growers—and our first tower garden grower!

Thanks to a dedicated team of educators, students at Beech Hill Elementary School in Summerville, South Carolina, have a unique learning opportunity through a school garden supported by Katie’s Krops, which is also based in Summerville.

When the garden was first established five years ago, sustainability was a challenge, even with guidance and funding from the Clemson Extension School and Community Gardening Program. However, the school persevered and connected with Lisa Turocy, Katie’s Krops Master Gardener and Board Member for Katie’s Krops. She proposed a potential partnership, recognizing that the needs of the BHES garden aligned perfectly with Katie’s Krops’ mission. With financial support and expert advice tailored to the area, the garden is now thriving.

Students of all grade levels have the opportunity to work and learn in the two gardens. The lower school garden introduces younger students to garden etiquette and safety, while the upper school garden, located between the third and fifth-grade classrooms, sees the most activity from those grades. Teachers integrate the garden into various subjects, providing real-life learning experiences. Third and fifth graders, for example, research plant growth challenges during literacy lessons, measure planting depth and spacing in math, and study flower structures in science. The garden also serves as an incentive for students to complete assignments and maintain positive behavior while fostering responsibility and environmental stewardship.

All students learn the importance of “eating the rainbow” and how different vegetables contribute to their nutritional needs. The school’s food service provider, Sodexo, and Ms. Haugh have hosted food tastings for all age groups, allowing students to try produce they may have never tasted before.

The school has also held several in-house farmers’ markets, where staff—including custodians and cafeteria workers—can enjoy the high-quality produce grown by students. Any surplus harvest is donated to Hearts for Summerville, a local organization suggested by school receptionist Ms. Kemble, who is actively involved with the group. Hearts for Summerville provides food, children’s books, furniture, rent assistance, and other essential resources to those in need, and the fresh garden produce helps support their mission.

Beyond nutrition and academics, the garden fosters a sense of independence and ownership among students. When they are younger, teachers guide them through planting and care, but as they grow older, students take the lead, applying years of knowledge to manage the garden themselves.
Like many school gardens, Beech Hill faces the challenge of summer maintenance, as the break lasts from early June to mid-August. Last summer, five teachers took turns caring for the sweet potatoes, each covering two weeks. The hope is to recruit students and their families to help this year—perhaps inspiring the children to become garden teachers at home.