1/27/15

This week we split up into groups and discussed different types of gardening (row, vertical, square foot etc). We also brainstormed ideas for decorative stakes, stepping stones and plant markers. Below Abby and Teagan explain starting, transplanting and maintaining seeds.

  

1/20/15
Seed bombs are not a new thing. When birds would nibble the corn seeds that had been planted, American Indians dug up mud and clay from nearby rivers and encased the seeds in them, giving them a protective coating so that they could germinate. 
In the early 70's, an Asian farmer, Masanobu Fukuoka used the same technique and made a "seed pellet" to protect his rice seeds from birds, mice and rot. More recently, seed bombs have been used to beautify abandoned and derelict urban areas. 
Students had a lot of fun crafting their own seed bombs to start at home either in their gardens or in pots.

To make seed bombs

• air dry clay
• compost or potting soil
• native wildflowers, herbs or lettuce and kale
• water                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
  
  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

  We took the lesson plan from kidsgardening.org. 

  http://www.kidsgardening.org/sites/www.kidsgardening.org/files/Seed%20Bomb%20Activity.pdf

1/13/2015

This week I brought in the remaining supplies of some British candy from England to share with students. I also brought in some kale salad and pickled beets. Most students tried the beets and comments ranged from "tastes like tadpoles" to "I love beets". Making healthy food a staple of a child's diet fosters healthy eating habits for life.

Next we watched a video on the tower garden. Mrs Scheuerman kindly offered to let us use her tower garden. The tower garden is a vertical aeroponic tower that uses no soil, 10% of the land than conventional gardening and 10% of the water. Water with nourishing solution is pumped up the tower and as it comes back down, it hits the roots of the plants and provides nourishment to the plants.

To find out more about tower gardens, go to http://www.towergarden.com/.

Finally, we went outside to show new students where the future garden would be and enjoyed playing in the snow with a beautiful sunset over Cedar Rapids.

 

 Anthony's definition of a snowball was a little scary :)

6/1/2015
Happy New Year! This week in garden club we looked at the basic parts of a plant-roots, stem, leaves, flowers and seeds. I brought in some salad components and students noted which part of the vegetable or fruit they were. Then, they got to eat them! There was one student who had never had broccoli before!

Students, in an earlier class helped to provide input for our school garden club logo. I had a friend take elements from their work and this is what he came up with it! The students love it!