Ms. Connor's Class Harvests and Plants in the Salsa Garden

On April 6 Ms. Connor's class harvested carrots, peas and lettuce from the Peter Rabbit Garden. These became the centerpiece of a colorful salad. Some of the carrots were purple and white! Some of the students peeled carrots to add to the salad. We also added blueberries to the salad!

The main lesson focused on planting a salsa garden. We discussed the ingredients and the students wrote about them in their garden journals. After learning the proper way to plant a tomato and some students planted tomato seedlings. Others planted basil and cilantro seedlings. We discussed the fact that basil and tomatoes are companions, aka friends, in the garden and grow well together.

Ms. Gardner's Class Plants Seeds in a Grow Light Garden

Last week Ms. Gardner's 4th graders planted tomato and zucchini seeds in their Grow Light garden. This system from Gardener's Supply ensures that the emerging seedlings will receive enough light to grow. The students will graph the progress of the plants once they emerge. The seedlings will be ready to transplant when they have two sets of real leaves!

Mr. Lanto's Students Plant

Today some of Mr. Lantos' students planted in the Jeffersonian Garden. They planted two types of peas, Jefferson's favorite vegetables. They also planted some zucchini. Both types of vegetables will be harvested before the end of school. Peas are generally cool season vegetables and zucchini is a warm season vegetable.

Ms. Gardner's Students Plant in Their Garden Bed

On March 2 Ms. Gardner's fourth graders planted in their garden bed after voting for their favorite vegetables. Broccoli, peas, carrots, tomatoes, kale, lettuce and cucumbers were popular. The students differentiated between cool season and warm season vegetables.

The students worked cooperatively in three groups to weed, amend the soil and plant. This allowed smaller groups for the math lesson.

The students planted a tomato seedling as well as seeds of peas, carrots, lettuce and nasturtiums. They also planted chocolate mint, thyme and parsley seedlings.

Their homework is to monitor the seeds and determine when each variety germinates.

Planting seeds

Ms. Schwartz's Students Help in the Garden

Today some of Ms. Schwartz's students helped in the garden. They amended the soil in two beds with new soil and compost. Then some of them planted wildflower seeds, sunflower seeds and poppy seeds in a new pollinator bed and the butterfly garden.  Others prepared a bed that will have a three sisters garden and some tomatoes. They also planted a few bean seeds.

Planting in the butterfly garden!

The kids were a great help!

Hard working kids amending the soil.

Ms. Connor's Students and Mr. Jacobs' Students Planted in Reusable Containers

Today Ms. Connor's 2nd graders and Mr. Jacobs' 2nd graders planted seeds in cardboard egg cartons. We discussed the concept of reusing-i.e. using again and how it was good for the environment.
We also discussed how many seeds they'd get if they put two seeds in each of the six cells-12! Then we counted by 2s to confirm. Here is the link for the project: https://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/downloads/hands-on/scrapkins-seed-starter.pdf.

The children filled the cells with soil and then chose fruit, vegetable and herb seeds. They'll place the container on a tray at home and place water in the tray every other day. The soil in the cell needs to be continually moist. Once the seeds germinate they need to be near a window, if possible. When there are three sets of leaves the seeds can be placed directly in the ground or a pot. If kept moist, the cardboard will disintegrate or decompose. The cardboard should be covered with soil.

Students who can't transplant the seedlings outside chose herbs, kale and lettuce to grow inside.

At the end of class the children harvested lettuce and carrots from the Peter Rabbit Garden and took them back to their class. The carrots were purple, orange and white!

Planting in the cartons

The kids fed the worms some vegetable scraps. We have lots of worms now!

Ms. Chaides' Students Plant in the Native American Garden

On February 26, some of Ms. Chaides' students planted in the Native American Garden. Before planting, they observed a California poppy and learned that it is the state flower. They planted penstemon, black sage and Cleveland sage.  They learned some of the uses of these plants by our local Native Americans. Penstemon leaves are made into a poultice and placed on wounds or insect bites. Black sage is made into a tea that Chumash soak their feet in.