MV Children's Garden news from Lee Budish for the week of November 12, 2007.
TO DO LIST for the WEEK: TEACHERS PLEASE LABEL FRONT OF YOUR BED WITH A SHARPIE. I will be away next week, so this email is for two weeks. If you need immediate assistance, please check with Susan Johnson, Anne Siskin, Carrie Morgan, or dad, Saor Stetler. If you delete this email by mistake, please refer back to our very cool WEB Site, www.ednamaguire.org. We are trying to create a central place for information since we have so much going on and since time is moving too fast. Easy reference and helps you keep track. Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for all of YOU! We have never, ever had so many garden parents. Thank you!
- Amend garden bed with DONATED ORGANIC SOIL NEAR ARTICHOKES. Mix in, but be careful not to damage irrigation.
- Teachers have seeds for beds. Fava beans, buckwheat and winter peas for nitrogen which can be later composted back into the bed and other stuff. Please send me email when you have planted or if you need help. Remember to cover seeds with bird netting which is to the right of the green house along the fence side, I know it is tangled, but do your best. IF SEEDS ARE NOT COVERED, THEY WILL NOT SURVIVE THE CROWS.
- We will plant daffodils, most teachers have the bulbs. One bulb per child. IF YOU CANNOT PLANT BEFORE BREAK, RETURN TO ME immediately after THANKSGIVING. I WILL PLANT THEM, OR THEY WILL ROT.
- In the KG area, you will see farm animals made of terracotta. We need to amend that soil. Please take soil from the new pile near the artichokes; have the kids fill wheelbarrows, maybe 4.
- We need to harvest the THOUSANDS OF nasturtium seeds on the perimeter of the pumpkin patch. Store in a paper bags and return to me. This is what they look like, little pebbles. Turn it into a math lesson, grouping, etc. There are plenty of seeds! Have a contest to see who can gather the most.... do teams....
- Get the kids in the pumpkin patch with shovels and start chopping and smashing all those yummy pumpkins. Then have them get the hay from the back, near the compost and mix together. Turn every week and we will watch it compost. I call this the "dirty rotten pumpkin soup," and kids get a kick out of it. Document the stages of composting. What do they see? What do they smell?
- We need to move the debris and wood chips away from the apple and pear trees. Okay to move chips to the pathways in between. Use small rakes and supervise the children so they do not hit the bark of the tree with the rake as they move wood chips away. We need to keep the area surrounding the trees sanitary to keep the cuddle moth larvae from hatching.
- Behind the garden gate on the back side are wood chips. Kids can move wood chips to cover the pathway behind the garden beds and between the citrus trees to keep those weeds in check. Needs lots of chips as the rains are coming, and so are the weeds, MAKE A THICK COVER.
- Keep searching for those snails and slugs in dark places.
Produce: The bok choy is ready in the first bed as soon as you walk in, please have the kids pick and eat..so sweet. Persimmons will be ready soon and we can sell what we don't eat.
Garden News: Delighted to announce that American Soil donated 4 yards of organic soil and that Mr. Stachon's class moved the soil in a record-breaking 30 minutes! We are planning worm classes, a local famed worm expert will be donating her time. KG classes will start planting sweet peas for green house.
Fun Stuff: Also, each class has a camera. Perhaps you may want to document the seasons with the kids in a photo journal? After you document the seasons, you can do a year end slide show. MAYBE A VIDEO, TOO????? Map out parts of the garden. Have kids count and draw apple orchard, can they tell which tree is pear or apple? Just get out that tape measure and ruler. LOOKING FOR ONE PARENT TO TAKE ALL THE MAPPING INFORMATION FROM ALL CLASSES TO DRAW A REAL MAP OF THE GARDEN, NO DEADLINE. IT GETS DONE WHENEVER.
Rainy Day Fun: Download Vivaldi's Four Seasons and have the kids pretend they are plants and have them guess which season they are listening to.
Thank you all so very much! Please feel free to call me on my cell 342-1870. PLEASE DO NOT FEEL YOU NEED TO DO EVERYTHING at once, WE DO WHAT WE CAN, WHEN WE CAN... MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO HAVE FUN!!
Posted by Mari Allen on November 12
