Redesigned space at Porter Traditional School

Porter Traditional School students now have a colorful and exciting new place to learn—right in their own backyard. Thanks to the hard work and creativity of Dan Zinski—husband of Larissa Zinski, a sixth-grade teacher at Porter Traditional—the student garden has been completely redesigned.

“This garden was built to produce moments of wonder,” explained Larissa Zinski. “It’s more than just a garden. It’s a seed sown for the community.”

The new garden is full of improvements. Before, it had only a few beds for vegetables. Now, it includes a mix of herbs, vegetables, and flowering plants that attract birds and bees. The garden also includes tabletops where students can work on projects and engage in hands-on learning.

Dan Zinski explained that the design was inspired by the “Grow a Row” program and is supported by local groups like Whole Heart Farms and Merrifield Garden Center.

“The design just fell into place,” he said. “We wanted it to be both useful and beautiful.”

Currently, students are growing herbs like sage, lavender, echinacea, and rosemary. These herbs will be dried and donated to free herbal clinics in Northern Virginia. The clinics will use them to make helpful products for people in need, including those affected by natural disasters.

To help care for the garden, Porter Traditional has started a new Garden Club. The club meets every other Wednesday after school. Students plant, weed, harvest, and keep the garden looking great.

“The students will also build birdhouses and help bring pollinators to the garden,” shared Larissa Zinski. “They’ll even teach others about our mission—Porter Gives Back.”

Students are excited about the changes. “I like how we can plant our own plants and learn how to grow them,” said Violet, a sixth grader. “I like that we get to give back to the community.”

Roderick, also in sixth grade, added, “I like gardening and working with plants. I like seeing them grow.”

The garden is already making a big impact, and there are plans to build more gardens at other schools in Northern Virginia. Dan Zinski hopes this is just the beginning.

“It’s a space for learning, giving, and growing, and we’re just getting started,” concluded Dan Zinski.