Gardening is a hobby many adults enjoy throughout the summer; you get outside, work with your hands, and, if you’re successful, get to reap the fruits of your labour with fresh garden food all summer long.
The Kicking Horse Gymnastics Club is taking the opportunity to get kids interested in gardening as part of their summer camp program by introducing a “Greatness Garden” that the kids will have the chance to work on over the summer.
The idea behind the garden goes beyond simply growing vegetables. According to Coach Lisa Weppler, the project was inspired by one of the gymnastics club’s core sayings: “The greatness I see in you is…” It is a phrase used every day at the gym to remind athletes that everyone has their own unique strengths and potential.
“The Greatness Garden was created as an extension of that message,” said Weppler. “Just like children, plants need care, patience, encouragement, and time to grow.”
Throughout the summer camps, children will have the opportunity to experience every stage of the gardening process. They will start seeds, care for the plants as they grow, learn what is happening both above and below the soil, discover when different vegetables are ready to harvest, and even learn how to save seeds for next year’s garden.
Weppler hopes these hands-on experiences will encourage campers to continue gardening at home while helping them understand where their food comes from and why growing it is such a valuable life skill.
The garden itself features an impressive variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Campers will help care for five varieties of peas, two varieties of beans, rainbow and regular carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, several types of lettuce, radishes, cherry and large tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, artichokes, horseradish, sunflowers, and a variety of flowers.
“Every plant is different, just like every child, and each has something valuable to offer,” Weppler said.
Beyond teaching gardening skills, the project aims to build patience, perseverance and tenacity—qualities the children are also developing through gymnastics. As they watch their plants develop over the course of the summer, campers will also be reminded that growth doesn’t happen overnight. Whether learning a new gymnastics skill or growing a tomato plant, success takes patience, consistency, and care.
As the summer camp program begins, the gymnastics club is looking forward to introducing campers to the Greatness Garden for the first time.
By the end of the summer, the hope is that children leave with more than just fresh vegetables. Weppler hopes they gain an appreciation for gardening, a better understanding of where food comes from, and the learn the perseverance it takes to grow something of their own.
“We look forward to watching them plant, care for, and harvest the garden while learning where food comes from, building confidence, developing healthy habits, and discovering that, just like the garden, their own greatness can grow with time, patience, and care.”
