TOWSON, Md. — At Loyola Blakefield, the garden club offers students a unique way to unwind and learn outside the traditional classroom setting.
"Just being able to like relax and work on the garden club even during the summer. I sometimes come over with my friends and just like we normally or sometimes pick some of the fruits and vegetables, use them for cooking," said Dilon Mack.
WATCH: Loyola Blakefield garden club teaches life lessons through growing food
The garden isn't only about calm and quiet. When I caught up with the students, it was time to clear out weeds, ripping and pulling, releasing the frustrations of a long day in class.
"I really like ripping out weeds, that's probably one of my favorite ones, said Declin Ford.
The garden club adds a level of learning you can't get in a classroom. Some are lessons in gardening, like when to get your vegetables in the ground. Others are life lessons about failure and things not going to plan.
"I really think the awesome thing about growing your own food and gardening is that it's so naturally trial and error, you know, there's no fool proof way to grow your own food. We planted 30 zucchini plants this year and nothing grew," said Dr. Audrey Fastuca.
The club started three years ago. The young men have built everything in the garden from the flower beds to the fence and even the compost.
"The students love to be outside and they love, I mean, creating something with your own hands is so meaningful so I think a lot of the guys will say, 'hey can we grow this hot pepper' and then you put it in a little cup of soil and then that little seed grows into a tiny plant and then that grows into a huge plant that gives you peppers, so the guys love that it's tangible, it's their own work, it's their own fruits of their labor," said Fastuca.
Now, they're preparing for the planting season this spring.
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