Real Gardens for Real People 2010 Garden Tour

On Saturday, March 13, 2010, from 9:00 AM—4:00 PM, Montessori Center School is the first stop on the 9th annual Real Gardens for Real People (RGRP) Garden Tour. Read more in the official press release. Ticket purchase information is available at the Maricopa Master Gardeners website.

Children playing outside, exploring, sprouting seeds, watching butterflies, birds and bees seems a natural and normal activity. The Montessori curriculum integrates a hands on approach to learning and this garden incorporates nature in a remarkable way. Approximately 90 children ages 2-6 arrive daily to learn in four foundational areas, practical life skills, sensory development, language and mathematics.

This 2 acres facility is located on an original Arizona ranch homestead. Two gate panels nearly 100 years old are incorporated into the hardscape. This history influences the horticultural plan for the garden. Crops encouraged in the early days of ranching included date palms, grapes and roses. Administrators Nimal and Joe Vaz try to plant only those plants that grew with in a five-mile radius of the property. Even with this restriction garden spaces have been designed to educate, inspire and delight the children.

The five senses are developed in the gardens focused in connected octagonal plots. The scent garden introduces rosemary, lavender, lemon grass, chocolate flower, and sages. The sound garden provides grasses that rustle in the breezes, gourds w/ seeds, Irish bells and a bronze bell for a special treat. The sense of touch includes, water, burbling over a globe fountain, lamb’s ear, and other textural plants that have ridges, and prickly surfaces. The Sight garden emphasizes the abundance of shapes and colors that annual planting provides. Taste is introduced as the children harvest grapes, citrus and vegetables throughout the year.

Then there is the lay down tamarisk tree with the tree house. This massive tree began growing sideways many years back and left to it’s own rerooting it has spread far and wide providing a shady spot for the children. What better place to wonder about the magic of learning than a tree house?

Children take nature walks throughout the school day, a lead teacher walks 4-5 children through the garden for an opportunity to be outside and observe the plants, butterflies and hummingbirds. The paths for the children are original creations developed over the years. There is a concrete path imprinted with a concrete form that creates a mother fish and three babies swimming behind. There are imbedded iron shapes of animals, glass marbles and more. Repurposing, recycling and re-imagining incorporates brick, branches and more everywhere in the garden The children access the garden to observe, experience and concentrate on the role of nature in their life and in the world around them.

Wander through this special garden, say hello to Luna the sheep, admire the black mask lovebirds, the cockatiels, and try to spot the turtle in the den. Do watch your head as you pass through the arbors and arches, as this is a garden designed for little people. Sit in the tree house and let the child in you enjoy.