Noah Johnson Daily Press Gladstone Garden Club members Kendall Cook and Harper Goodman check on seedlings planted for the upcoming high school graduation.

GLADSTONE — A local school has a club where students are encouraged to get their hands dirty.

Gladstone High School has a small but dedicated group of students maintaining a garden on campus. Not only do students tend to the garden, but they also get to see their work used in the cafeteria and at graduation.

The Gladstone Garden Club is in its second year, led by school building aide Dawn Belongie.

She said she approached Gladstone Principal Andy Jacques about the club last year and got the go-ahead.

Initially, the club acquired a greenhouse, but it is currently not usable until repairs are made. The club uses a science lab room to store and manage the garden, which works well, according to Belongie.

“That’s part of why everything is inside, but this works. The setup in here is perfect,” she said.

Through a grant, the club was able to purchase a hydroponic system, increasing the club’s growing possibilities.

“It kind of just took off from there,” she said.

With the equipment, the club started growing lettuce, which was then given to the kitchen to prepare meals for students.

The club now has a second hydroponic system, expanding what the club can grow.

“This year, we started with cucumbers and tomatoes and some peppers. So, again, that all ends up in the kitchen (and) they use that, obviously, for salads,” Belongie said.

Next year, the club is toying with the idea of taking a stab at growing strawberries.

The club is also working to clean out the flower beds at Cameron Elementary. It started the process in the fall and will pick back up in the spring.

“They were pretty overrun,” she said.

Currently, the club is focusing on growing flowers, specifically petunias, for the upcoming senior graduation.

“We’ll probably end up incorporating other flowers, too,” she said.

When Belongie started the club, she thought it would just be a fun thing for the students to do.

“Everybody needs some plants in their lives. It’s a lifelong skill or it’s something that kids can carry over into adulthood. You know, a garden is something that you can have forever,” she said.

She said the current members and past members seem to really enjoy the gardening process.

“They seem to like it quite a bit, actually. They’re not afraid to get their hands dirty, which is great because that’s kind of what gardening is about,” she said.

The club currently has four members, and Belongie welcomes those who might be interested in joining.

“It’s a pretty casual club. It’s just all about learning, and it’s great; gardening is a great skill to have,” she said.

The club is always looking for additional funding, as well as supplies. If members of the community have seeds, gloves, gardening tools, books, or other items that are in good condition, Belongie and the club will happily accept them.

“Plants make people happy,” she said.