ACUnity Home School Project

Amaru Come Unity Home School is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, near the intersecting streets of S Liberty Street and Jackson Avenue. The school teaches all subjects to children from ages 7- 10 years old, and specializes in holistic learning methods with a Charter School curriculum structure. East of the upper-class Garden District, the school’s location is in a geographical grey area, where a great deal of historically underserved communities have made their homes.  In New Orleans, there is a stark contrast in botanical life when comparing the cityscapes of the upper and lower class areas, and the average person is often unaware of the impact that our physical environment has on our mental well-being; affecting our drive, courtesy, and our conception of our place in the community. Color & Light Co. is grateful for the opportunity to bring a bloomscape to Jackson Avenue. 
The garden space is 1,350 square feet and is located directly in front of the home-school. The soil composition consists mainly of a sand/clay loam, with patches of dark and potentially fertile soil from the horticultural initiatives of the site’s last owners. Design projections include: 

 

  • Create a space where the children can learn regenerative garden practices like foraging for mulch, building and maintaining compost piles (food & non-food), propagating plant species from cuttings, and  seed saving.

     
  • Develop several in-ground beds  constructed by perennial plant species plots ; annual beds for the home-school operator’s favorite seasonal crops and/or flowers.

     
  • Build a living veil of tall species to veil the garden space from  the pedestrian traffic that passes by regularly. 

     
  • Install drip irrigation system to make post-install maintenance easy for the home-school operator.

     
  • Ultimately create a safe and inspiring space for all outdoor activities related to the school and its extra-curricular activities.

 

 

Site Plan

The site's history includes food production and compost piles in the east/southeastern region. The living veil is aimed to consist of perennial and evergreen species; frost resistant varieties that thrive in hardiness zones with a similar heat index as New Orleans.
 

U P D A T E S

COLLARD GREENS, Brassica oleracea 
We chose to plant collards as the premiere crop in this bed at the building's entrance, mainly because they are quick to mature and produce a regular yield.  Collards create root systems that could reach two feet deep.  When the plant has reached its full maturity, the root will be left in the grown to biodegrade. The micro organisms
Nursery donation from Perino's Garden Center, Metairie, LA
Compost from the home-school's compost piles
Horse manure/hay compost from local horse stable
Fish emulsion liquid fertilizer

©Copyright. All rights reserved.

We need your consent to load the translations

We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.