Please let me know if your bed
is planted with seeds/seedlings. Also, we would like to clearly mark all
beds with room # or teacher names as well as plant labels. Please let me
know if you need signs.
Tasks for the Garden this week:
1)Plant the beds -
there are seeds in the shed marked for fall/winter plantings that include
Brassica family (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi,
mustard greens, kale), root vegetables (beets, carrots, radishes, rutabagas,
turnips), leafy greens (lettuces, chard, arugula), peas (sugar snap peas,
Chinese snow peas), and alliums (onions, garlic, leeks, shallots). There
are also seedlings in the greenhouse that should be used first to get a head
start. Keep a garden journal of what/when/where/how you plant.
Contact me if you need any help.
2)Water the greenhouse
seedlings if they appear dry (mark the clipboard to keep track of when the seedlings
were watered)
3)Check the worm bins
to make sure they have enough dry/brown material; if it seems damp or if fruit
flies are present, shred newspaper and add it to the bin
4)Sample some of the
remaining greens in the beds
5)Cut off any dead flower
buds on rose bushes and any other flowering plants
6)Pull weeds in and
around the vegetable beds
7)Load up a
wheelbarrow of woodchips from outside the fence behind the compost area and
distribute them on any exposed dirt pathways and throughout the orchard area
(this will keep the pathways from getting to muddy and will act as a natural
soil builder as the wood decomposes)
8)Pick up and dispose
of any trash
9)Make sure the bird
baths have water
10)Clean and return
tools to the shed
11)Return wheelbarrows
to compost area or behind shed
Garden News:
We held our garden workday this past Saturday. Whole Foods
sponsored the workday by donating bagels and cream cheese, scones, lots of
yummy cookies, orange juice and coffee. There were plenty of goodies to
keep everyone fueled.
Our dedicated crew moved woodchips from our back
pile to the dirt pathways to prepare the garden for the winter rains
ahead. The woodchips will keep the paths from turning into a muddy mess
and will break down over time to build the soil.
Another team planted a
bag of donated daffodil bulbs around the garden so we will get a nice surprise
in the spring.
The last of the summer squash was pulled from one of the
raised beds and the bed was amended for winter planting. The front area
around the roses was weeded. Thanks to Jill Anderson, Barbara Bleckman,
the Bloom family, the Citroen family, the Dunne family, the Figuierinhas
family, the Ross family and everyone else for a wonderful volunteer effort.
REMINDER: At the end of the
school day, please lock up the garden if it is unlocked. The garden is
usually unlocked during the school day and I am not always around at pick up
time so please take a moment to make sure it gets locked up. Also, hang
up your gloves and put away your tools. Barbara Bleckman and Luz Castro
cleaned and organized the garden shed. The gloves are now cleaned,
organized and hanging above the worm bin. Please make sure they are
returned to their place when you are done using them.
Attention all Mill Valley Children's Garden supporters:
Sloat Garden Center is sponsoring Growing Up Green Week, November 7 through 16,
2008. During this time, if you bring in our Edna flyerEdna Maguire School Growing up Green week.pdf, a percentage of your purchases will be donated to the Children's Garden
by Sloat. The higher our participation, the greater the benefit we will
receive. So if you were thinking about fall plantings (good time to plant
trees now that the rain is beginning) or purchasing some garden tools or
furniture, shop at Sloat between November 7 and 16, 2008 and be sure to present
them with our Edna Flyer. Thanks for supporting the garden.
Located in Mill Valley, California, at Edna Maguire Public Elementary School, the Mill Valley Children's Garden is a 1/3 acre outdoor classroom laboratory. The garden is a hands-on treasure for both curriculum-based teaching and exploratory creative experimentation - it is a "textbook come to life." Through the Children's Garden, children learn botany, ecology, math, science, language arts, creative arts, stewardship of the land, community service, and much more.
The Children's Garden is a grassroots, volunteer effort by the parents, faculty and community of Mill Valley. The garden operates through private funds and donations and is supported by the Edna Maguire PTA - a 501 3 (c).
Are you a parent of an Edna Maguire student interested in volunteering to help with the Mill Valley Children's Garden? Click here for more information, or contact Saor Stetler. Green thumbs are not required - all that is needed is a desire to have fun with the children in the garden while observing the cycles of nature.
