The Great Outdoors

Plants To Grow Young Minds & Good Citizens

The School Children’s For the 99th year, plants grown in the Lawton Park Greenhouse will be delivered to Fort Wayne students in kindergarten- 3rd grade as a part of the beloved School Children’s Flower and Vegetable Association (SCFVA) program. Students are responsible for growing their plants and seeds which they enter in their schools’ annual Plant, Flower, and Vegetable Shows held in late summer or early fall.

Plant deliveries include eight varieties of over 15,000 plants and over 2,300 seed packets as a part of the SCFVA program. In addition, Fort Wayne third graders will receive over 2,300 free River Birch tree seedlings donated by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and delivered through this program.

As of January 2025, the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, a proud part of Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation, is coordinating the SCFVA program. Manager of the Conservatory, Nate Cardelli said, “this long-standing educational program cherished by generations of Fort Wayne students, continues to thrive. Botanical Conservatory staff and the Parks’ Landscape and Horticulture team are working together to encourage the future of youth gardening.”

53 participating schools will receive plants in custom-handled bags to help students safely transport their plants home. Each bag will include a plant care guide, a brief history of the SCFVA and free admission passes to the Botanical Conservatory.

Botanical Conservatory staff are also actively recruiting volunteer judges in preparation for dozens of student-led plant shows later this year. Anyone interested in judging can email botanicalprograms@cityoffortwayne.org to connect. More information about the School Children’s Flower and Vegetable Association program can be found here: botanicalconservatory.org/education/school-childrens-flower-vegetable-association

The Waynedale News Staff

The Waynedale News Staff

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