Each spring, the members of CLASS Day Program begin preparing our garden and greenhouse to get everything ready for the summer planting season. In February 2023, CLASS received a very generous grant from the Colorado Garden Foundation (https://www.coloradogardenfoundation.org/). The funds that CLASS received allowed our members to add raised garden beds, which increases access for our members who use wheelchairs or have other mobility concerns. The timing of the grant allowed us to purchase materials to build the raised garden beds well in advance of the planting season. With support from our volunteer Master Gardener, Ken and CLASS staff, our members pitched in, and worked very hard while helping to construct the new garden beds.

This year, each member was able to have a section of the garden or a section of one of the raised garden beds to call their own, and they were responsible for all planting, harvesting and other maintenance. The members were able to choose what types of vegetables they wanted to grow in their individual sections of the garden. Throughout the spring and summer months, our members worked very hard to ensure that we had plenty of great items to harvest. CLASS members grew many different items including jalapeños, cucumbers, corn, squash, peas, tomatoes, watermelons and lots of leafy greens. Each week, after items are harvested, our members are able to prepare salads and eat the vegetables that they have grown. Our members ate a lot of salads at CLASS this summer! And the bunnies that live at CLASS also ate very well this year. 

A special thank you goes out to our Master Gardener, Ken, who donates his time to make the garden a success every year. This year was our best harvest yet, and our members are very proud of the work they have done to make this year’s garden project a huge success. Our members love to work in the garden. Having a garden and greenhouse located at the CLASS building is just one of the many reasons why our day program is unique and why our members love being part of the CLASS family.