Spring is in the art

MILFORD — There’s no denying the weather outside has been delightful, so much so that even the art is in bloom at the Dingman-Delaware Middle School.
Mrs. Laurie Yatsonsky’s art students recently created aesthetic herb gardens out of clay.
“I wanted them to understand functional and nonfictional pieces of art,” Yatsonsky said. “I thought it would be nice to fuse the two ideas, and the Chia pet came to mind.”
Once the planting pots with original faces were sculpted, glazed and fired, the science began. Students learned how to plant, and — when the seeds didn’t sprout right away despite their sunny location — that germination is about soil temperature, not light.
“I also talked with them about why growing plants of your own is so important,” Yatsonsky said.
“Growing plants relieves stress,” said Machias Magill.
Machias created a teal-colored, tikki statue-inspired planter, then planted spearmint for himself. He plans to help his mom garden this summer.
“It’s pretty calming,” he said. “And healthy too. There’s not as many chemicals and preservatives in the food we grow ourselves.”
Classmate Harrison Wihlborg agreed. “It’s great to have fresh herbs and vegetables," he said.
Harrison planted basil for his mom and who also helps with the family garden. He knows exactly where his art will fit.
“I like to display my art at home,” he said. His tikki statue inspired planter is the same green and blue as the guest bathroom.
“You can never go wrong with planting," he said, "so you might as well do it.”