Roots of Character: The 1907 Rhode Island Boys’ School Garden That Grew More Than Vegetables

March 23, 1907

Dearest reader,

On this day, a bold and inspiring initiative took root at a boys-only school in Rhode Island—a school garden that would sow far more than just seeds in its soil.

This garden, documented in a report shared with the State Board of Education, proved a remarkable blend of education, nature, and character-building all rolled into one.

A summary report was published with the State Board of Education:

On March 26th, all the boys wrote for catalogs, some sending several letters or cards. 

It proved a valuable letter lesson in letter-writing and geography as they looked at the places they had sent the letters and inquired about distances, railroads, and mail trains. 

More than fifty attractive catalogs were received. Tomatoes, lettuce, and radishes were planted in boxes ready for early transplanting. The seeds were obtained through a member of Congress, and despite all the rumors regarding the poor quality of government seed, [they] proved excellent.

Two boys found an old sink in a dump. This was sunk in the middle of the West yard, partly filled with cement and now used as a birdbath.

Each boy chose several vegetables from a list of corn, squash, onions, carrots, beans, beets, lettuce, radishes, pumpkins, potatoes, peas, and parsnips. The corn and a row of sunflowers were planted next to the fence; the other vegetables [were planted] according to height, living lettuce, and radishes in the front.

Difficulties: There have been many difficulties in the way. Most of the work has been done outside of school hours, at noon when some of the boys have to hurry home or at night when they carry papers. Most discouraging of all, vegetables have been stolen and Gardens trampton almost nightly.

Effect: But the effect of the garden work on the boys has been excellent. 

First of all it's giving them an outside interest. They have learned courtesy and generosity and showing visitors the garden and giving away their vegetables. Toads which we have raised from eggs are to be put in the garden when school closes. 

There has been less time for running about the streets and cigarette smoking. Since the gardens were started, there's only been one case of truancy and very little absence. Ten or fifteen minutes hard work during the school hours has often served to bring a cross, restless boy back to quiet and pleasant. 

Of the 23 boys, 18 have made gardens at home and most of them are doing well.

A copy of one boy’s notebook will give an idea of the garden from the boy's standpoint.

March 25: Began to pick rocks. Got a backache. Wrote for catalogs.

March 26: Laid out 23 beds - [each] 6 by 14 ft

March 27: Planted radishes, lettuce, tomatoes in boxes. Miss Allen paid $0.25 for loam.

May 1: Put down sink for Birds bath.

May 3rd: Planted pumpkins, potatoes, beans, beets, lettuce, radishes.

May 15, 16, 17: Cleaned up West yard. Got loam. Planted shrubs and trees. 

Planted marigolds, candytuft and poppies, Boston Ivy, cornus, weigelia, lilac, crab. 

It looks slick.

May 20th: These seeds are up in my bed: radish, lettuce, beans.

May 21: brought Bush to school. Went to Arlington for ferns. Pumpkins up. Put violets beside Birds tub.

June 12th: Brought home 10 radishes. They were good ones. 

Saw a jay in our bath and a chipping sparrow.

June 17: Mr Randall out. Hoeing. A lot of teachers came. Took home lettuce

June 18: Sent radishes to Mr. Small. A man and lady came to see if we will get a prize.

June 19: Everything in my garden is growing fine. It's a good thing. We have spent $11.45.

This exercise was no ordinary task; it served as a valuable lesson not only in letter-writing but also in geography, as the boys pondered the distances their letters would travel and learned about railroads and mail trains. Such practical learning, woven through the excitement of a garden, awakened both their minds and hearts.

The response was abundant—more than fifty attractive catalogs arrived, stocked with seeds. Among the first to be planted were tomatoes, lettuce, and radishes, started carefully in boxes ready for early transplanting. The seeds, procured with the help of a member of Congress, defied rumors about the poor quality of government seeds and proved excellent. Ingeniously, two boys found an old sink in a dump, sunk it into the middle of the West yard, partly filled it with cement, and transformed it into a whimsical birdbath—an early lesson in resourcefulness and care for nature.

Each boy selected several vegetables from a generous list—including corn, squash, onions, carrots, beans, beets, lettuce, radishes, pumpkins, potatoes, peas, and parsnips. The corn and a row of cheerful sunflowers stood tall by the fence, while the shorter lettuce and radishes hugged the front beds, arranged thoughtfully according to height.

Of course, no garden story is without its challenges. Much of the work was done outside regular school hours—noon breaks that rushed the boys home, evenings when they carried papers—and, most discouragingly, vegetables were often stolen and the gardens trampled almost nightly. Yet, the spirit and effect of the garden on the boys were undeniably positive.

The garden gave them an outside interest, teaching courtesy, generosity, and pride as they showed visitors around and shared their harvest. The boys raised toads from eggs, preparing to release them into the garden when school closed—a charming nod to nurturing life beyond plants alone. Remarkably, since the garden’s inception, truancy dropped to just one case, absences became rare, and even the most restless boys found peace in ten or fifteen minutes of hard, purposeful work during school hours.

Of the 23 boys involved, 18 went on to create gardens at home, many flourishing in their efforts. One boy’s notebook offers a vivid snapshot of this garden journey: starting with a sore back from picking rocks on March 25, laying out 23 beds, each six by fourteen feet, planting seeds, tending the birdbaths, and watching their crops grow. He celebrated bringing home a good harvest of radishes, observed birds like jays and chipping sparrows visiting the bath, and took pride in the garden’s progress despite the modest $11.45 spent.

Dear gardener, do these youthful hands and hearty efforts not remind us how gardens cultivate more than just plants?

They nurture patience, responsibility, kindness, and community. What lessons might your own garden whisper, if you listened closely?

Might a simple plot of earth be the very place where character is grown as surely as flowers bloom?