In the internal courtyard of Booker T. Washington Elementary School lies a secret waiting to be discovered by those visiting there.

What Brenda Snashall started years ago has continued and blossomed into a secret garden maintained by the school’s recently formed Secret Garden Club.

The garden was decorated with white lights for a community open house on Thursday that was combined with the school’s parent involvement night.

Parents were invited to choose a free book, register onsite for a library card, enjoy a read-aloud with cookies and hot chocolate, and also take a stroll through the garden.

The Booker T. Washington Secret Garden Club sponsor is Jenny Owens, who serves as a Title I Reading Specialist at the school. She and the club meet each Thursday before school to work in the courtyard area, which covers a quarter acre.

“It’s a really nice way to start the day as far as being sort of out in nature,” she said. “And then everybody walks in sweaty and smelling like earth and then goes into their classroom and tends to business in there.”

Owens noted that working the garden can be a good kick-starter to the day for young students who may not be totally excited about what awaits them in the classroom, but they are excited about getting their hands dirty.

The garden has also been an important tool in helping shed light on a variety subjects for the students.

Ten-year-old club member Erika Schmack is able to give an informative tour of the area, effortlessly revealing her knowledge gleaned about plants and various projects the garden facilitates.

“Over here we have our tadpole pond, which helps our first-graders next year in the spring learn about life cycles and stuff like that,” Erika said.

“Right here we have our flower beds, which we’re going to turn into raised beds,” she said. “And we’re going to grow more vegetables in them and stuff like that.”

Owens later said this could lead to contests on which class in the school can grow the most poundage or sell the most at the local farmer’s market.

Next, Erika pointed out some collards and continued down the walkway.

“And then right there we have the fennel, which helps our caterpillars grow up to butterflies, and then they pollinate our garden, so the fennel’s really useful,” she said. “And right here we have our rosemary bush, and they say rosemary helps improve our brain memory.”

Around a corner in the courtyard, Erika highlighted a compost bin.

“The worms eat the stuff in the compost and turn it into dirt, and you can put banana peels and apple cores and stuff like that in, but you shouldn’t put any steam-cooked vegetables, stuff like that, in your compost,” she said.

After completing the tour, Erika noted that in the cafeteria, there were organic rosemary cookies, which came from the garden.

Teresa Abdulbaaqee said she is pleased with the opportunity the school is affording her daughter, Rainah, a fifth-grader and secret garden club member.

“The earth and environment is important to our entire family, and I’m really happy to see that here at Booker T. that they’re incorporating that into their learning and that it’s hand-on,” she said.