Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES horticulture, landscaping and floral design students are working with the Yaddo Garden Association to preserve the gardens and grounds of the historic Saratoga Springs estate.
An intergenerational exchange of knowledge and hands-on experience takes place each week in the fall and spring at the gardens off of Union Avenue. CTE students from area high schools work with volunteers doing a variety of garden tasks: raking, trimming, caring for rock gardens and ferns, trimming tree limbs, planting perennials and rose bushes. They gain experience in their field and in exchange, they lend a hand to caring volunteers.
“It has been a great collaboration,” says Joanne McFadden, a Yaddo Garden Association volunteer.
The students also take the fish from Yaddo’s fountains and winter them at the F. Donald Myers Education Center in Saratoga Springs.
“The community partnership has given our students the opportunity to improve their skills and also helps see community engagement in action,” said Doug Fleischut, the program’s instructor. “They love to take care of the fish and return them each spring.”
Yaddo is a retreat for artists located on a 400-acre estate. Its mission is to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work uninterrupted in a supportive environment.