Welcome to December (though it didn't feel like it sitting on Stinson Beach at sundown today):

 

Garden Work Day, Saturday, December 6 from 9 am to 12 pm:

This month's Garden Workday and Campus Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, December 6 from 9 am to noon.  We will be spreading mulch (woodchips), amending soil, weeding and much more.

 

Shop Local to support Sloat and your Children's Garden (Dec. 1-8, 2008):

Edna Maguire School Growing up Green week.pdf

Attention all Mill Valley Children's Garden supporters: Sloat Garden Center is sponsoring Growing Up Green Week, December 1 to 8, 2008.  During this time, if you bring in our Edna flyer, 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 December 1 to 8, 2008, 2008 and be sure to present them with our Edna Flyer.  Thanks for supporting the garden.

FOG Meeting - Tuesday, December 2 at 8-9 am

The FOG meeting for December will be held Tuesday, December 2.  Please join the meeting to discuss the Spring Festival, upcoming Garden Work Days, the Farmer's Market, future garden projects and more.  The meeting is held from 8 - 8:30 am with teachers and from 8:35-9:00 am with parents that can make the earlier time.  Agenda for the meeting will be sent out tomorrow.

 

Tasks for the Garden this week:

1)      Weed around the rose beds near the front entrance and the kindergarten beds.

2)      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.

3)      Water the greenhouse seedlings if they appear dry (mark the clipboard to keep track of when the seedlings were watered).  Teachers and garden parents should determine whether the seedlings are dry before allowing children to water as it appears that the seedlings have been getting overwatered.

4)      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

5)      Sample some of the remaining greens in the beds

6)      Cut off any dead flower buds on rose bushes and any other flowering plants

7)      Pull weeds in and around the vegetable beds 

8)      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)

9)      Pick up and dispose of any trash

10)   Make sure the bird baths have water

11)   Clean and return tools to the shed

12)   Return wheelbarrows to compost area or behind shed

 

Garden Club:

Please let your students know that the Garden Club meets informally every Thursday at lunch in the garden.  Carrie Morgan supervises the garden club and Rebecca from Next Generation is there every other Thursday to help with garden projects.  All grade levels welcome. 

 

Garden blog:

Check out the garden blog on the school website for garden news, pictures and garden recipes (http://www.ednamaguire.org/garden/).  Please send me your nutritious garden recipes for posting.

 

 

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.

 

Please contact me with any questions.

 

 

 

Posted by Saor Stetler on November 30