Draw what you can't grow!
One Meter of Art is a project where we invite children from local schools and kindergartens to visit the Nomad Garden. During their visit, they explore the different parts of the garden. They can see, touch, and smell the plants. They can spend time with the animals and discover how everything in the garden is connected. At the end of the visit, each group plants a tree together.
But the garden is also a place for creativity. We encourage the children to express themselves in different ways, giving them space to draw, paint, and make things with their hands. Sometimes, the garden’s walls become their canvas. The children love to paint on the walls. It is a chance to learn, but also a chance to play.
Draw What You Can’t Grow!
One of our favorite spaces is a white wall built from old tires. We created it so children can draw what they can’t grow. They paint fruits and vegetables that don’t yet exist in our garden, animals they love, or simply whatever comes to mind. Through these drawings, they share their ideas, dreams, and feelings. This is their One Meter of Art – a small space where their imagination can grow.
The purpose of these visits is not only to teach children about plants and food. We want to inspire them and help plant an idea in their minds: that even in the desert, it is possible to grow life. We try to nurture that idea just as we care for the plants in the garden, hoping that one day this generation will have the knowledge and confidence to grow its own food.
We choose to work with young children because they are naturally curious and open to new ideas. They are at an age when they are beginning to discover who they are and who they might become. It feels like the perfect moment to encourage them, guide them, and show them new possibilities.
At the end of every visit, each group grows a tree and this tree becomes their signature .
That tree becomes their signature in the garden. It is a small act, but it carries a big meaning. It is a symbol of growth, hope, and responsibility – and a reminder that they, too, can leave something living behind.
