Georgia Magazine - July 2022 - 42

Hometown HEROES
By Amber Lanier Nagle
N
Geraldine Bryant: gardening to help
young people grow
ot long ago, behind Marietta's Dowell Elementary School, near a
brightly painted sign that reads, " Welcome to our Gardening Area, "
a group of elementary school students rushed up to 75-year-old
Geraldine Bryant, Ph.D., and embraced her tightly.
Bryant retired last year after a long career as an educator and school
counselor, but over several years, she inspired children at the school to get
involved in growing a garden.
" Are we going to plant something today? " a girl asked, jumping up and down.
" Can I help? " another child pleaded.
After every child was hugged, Bryant walked the group over to a raised bed,
in which the crew created a garden brimming with fresh, juicy vegetables and
bold, beautiful flowers. As she spoke, the children hung on her every word.
Bryant sowed more than seeds with the young members of the Let's Play in
the Dirt Garden Club. She cultivated love and kindness.
Her garden club took root in 2014, after then-Assistant Principal Maxine
Miller asked for ideas to engage the students.
" Seven raised beds were already back here, but they were overgrown, "
Bryant says. " I love working outside, so I proposed a gardening club for
students in kindergarten through the second grade. That first year, we worked,
watered and talked during recess. We held club meetings after school. "
Bryant applied for grants and reached out to community organizations
for help.
" Home Depot helped us put in seven more raised beds, " she says. " Kennesaw
State University helped us with our greenhouse and a covered outdoor classroom.
Cobb EMC helped us purchase apple trees. Another grant helped us purchase two
storage sheds and tools. The UGA Cobb Extension office helped us, too, and
encouraged me to become a Master Gardener, so I did. "
When the time was ripe, the students enjoyed the fruits of their labor.
Sometimes they picked broccoli and carrots, washed them off and ate them
on-site. After harvesting kale, volunteers helped prepare kale chips and kale salad
for the kids to taste.
" Seeing them so excited never got old, " Bryant says. " I loved the moments
when one of the kids yelled out, 'I didn't know potatoes grew in the dirt,' or 'Look,
Dr. Bryant! Our plant made broccoli!' "
Bryant has moved on since her retirement, and teacher Raina Michaels now
Bryant continues to be involved in improving her community. She's the
runs the garden program at Dowell.
author of " Overcoming Adversity: Why Do African American Males Drop Out of
High School? " and is working on another book. She's also active in her church's
outreach ministry to the homeless. She plans to continue to play in the dirt with
the students at Dowell as a volunteer.
" To me, it has always been more than a school gardening club, " she says.
" It has been a way to connect with each child and inspire them to be interested in
" To me, it has always been more than a school gardening club, " she says.
and care about the world. "
Amber Lanier Nagle is a freelance writer living in Adairsville.
42 Georgia Magazine July 2022
" Seeing them so excited never got old, " Bryant says. " I loved the moments
when one of the kids yelled out, 'I didn't know potatoes grew in the dirt,' or 'Look,
Her garden club took root in 2014, after then-Assistant Principal Maxine
AMBER LANIER NAGLE
Georgia Magazine - July 2022

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