Children enjoy community garden at Rocky Ridge Learning Center

Hidden behind the playground at Rocky Ridge Learning Center is a garden that ignites the senses. The children at the daycare will soon be able to watch plants such as sunflowers and strawberries grow due to their care efforts.

Christa Wolfe, president of Rocky Ridge Learning Center, said it was her husband Rob’s idea to have a community garden at their daycare. Rob grows a variety of things at home, and the couple agreed that the educational aspect would be beneficial to the children.

“To them, food comes from the supermarket, meat comes in Styrofoam containers,” Rob said. “It’s important for the kids to know where food actually comes from.”

The couple spent some time researching different ideas for the garden and what the children could eat at the daycare. The result was a garden with pumpkins, green beans, eggplant, tomatoes and strawberries. The children are getting to grow mint and sunflowers as well.

The children are able to water and take care of the garden daily and Rob said they even plan to grow food such as collards in the winter months.

“We plan to serve some inside the center and also send the food home with them so they can share with their families,” he said.

Christa purchased Rocky Ridge Learning Center in August 2014. The center is open Monday through Friday and serves children ages six weeks to six years old.

For more about the center, located in the Rocky Ridge Plaza Shopping Center, visit rockyridgelearningcenter.com