My children were attending the local elementary school, Toomer Elementary in Atlanta, GA. This is a Title I school that has gone through a lot in the last decade or so, but was improving drastically due the community of Kirkwood and a new dynamic Principal. My daughter was in Kindergarten when I decided to join the PTA. There was talk of starting a school garden. I was immediately interested in helping out. What I didn’t know is that they were looking for someone to spearhead the project — little did I know that would end up being me! Born and raised in Southern California, I didn’t have a great idea of what grows well in the South. Fortunately I come from a long line of gardeners (Dad had a plant maintenance business, Mom was a florist and had a background in horticulture) so I knew a little, but had much to learn. I quickly realized I needed to be able to share what I learned with the teachers and children in the school, to help make them feel comfortable tending to the garden and getting the most out of using it. This lead to be becoming a Dekalb County Master Gardener. One of the best decisions I had ever made. My kids have since moved on to middle school, but the Toomer Elementary Garden remains. The parents in grades below mine continued to nurture and expand the garden making it a place for story time and lesson plans. It is truly a community gem.