Twelve plots of dirt equals infinite fun for more than 100 children who planted seeds, watered, weeded and enjoyed the bounty at the Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden.
Working the soil over the summer months, these children from 12 different groups or families grew a rainbow of flowers and vegetables in the raised beds behind the Traverse Area District Library.
In addition to the ongoing fun and gratification, the mission of the garden founded in 1999 is to instill in the young participants a lifelong love of gardening.
The Schichtel family can testify that this dream can come true. Stephanie Schichtel, 3 1/2, romped and played Thursday evening during the annual Garden Keeper Awards, whirling around the sunny spots she visited weekly with other members of Healthy Start Child Care.
Gerri Schichtel hopes that Stephanie will take to gardening as much as her older daughter, Morgan, 7, did after her annual Wednesday visits.
"She always talks about it and wants to do something at our house,” said Gerri of Morgan. "It's been a great influence on her.”
The Garden Keeper Awards drew at least 100 participating children and their families plus a number of the 40 volunteers who keep everything running smoothly all season. Each child left with a T-shirt and medal acknowledging their effort while garden founder Susan Kuschell left with something a little different: acclaim and acknowledgment for her hard work and vision.
The volunteers at the garden temporarily hijacked the formal part of the meeting to praise Kuschell for her years of service. In addition to the standard plaque, they presented her with a personalized gardening apron, a hat and a bright red boa — temporarily rendering Kuschell speechless.
"She's the lady with the bright red hair and the energy of three steam engines,” said Sue Soderberg, recounting an apt description of Kuschell. "She is our hero.”
The Grand Traverse Conservation District received the Garden Keeper Award during the ceremony; board member Jennifer Jay accepted the award for the organization. The ceremony also honored the garden's two interns as well as the part-time program director.
Participating organizations this year included the Friends of the Women's Resource Center, Traverse City Day Camp, Third Level and Pete's Place, Michael's Place, Munson Hospice Art Therapy and Panda Room Central Day Care.
One individual plot was lovingly cared for by the O'Brien family in memory of their mother and grandmother, Judi Couturier. Couturier, an avid gardener, was killed in a car accident in 2003 and her family turned to Michael's Place for help. They gardened with the group at the Children's Garden for a few years and for the past two years Monica O'Brien and her sons have worked their own plot.
"Each year we pick a word and different flowers and we learn what will work best,” said O'Brien.
The Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden is on the cusp of the next stage of growth as organizers received an $80,000 grant from the Kellogg Foundation for a pavilion. Growing out of a determination to connect children to their food and encourage healthy eating, the project is dubbed From Roots to Mouth.
In keeping with that theme, the pavilion will have a grilling station, an outdoor classroom and a pizza oven built out of clay where children can make pizzas featuring fresh produce and herbs they grew. It will also have a greenhouse at the front and provide storage for equipment and be wheelchair accessible.
"The interest is growing as time goes on and people know more about us,” said Kuschell of the Children's Garden. "We have a waiting list for plots next year.”
For more information about the Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden, call 947-0422.