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| Alex says you need to check this out! |
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Edible Schoolyard Project
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The Smiles Keep Coming!
Wow! That was another great garden club. Today we worked on the flower bed. I managed to clean about a couple dozen lamb's ear plants out my home garden and brought them in to help fill in some of the holes in our school flower bed. Afterwards, we worked on weeding some of the grasses that are starting to poke their heads up where we don't want them. Mr. John, our most excellent school custodian, has ordered a load of mulch for the flower bed. Hopefully it will be here when we return from spring break.
Today Mr. V was back and taught us about umami. That's the taste best described as savory (as compared to sweet, salty, bitter, etc.). We got to taste it at the end of club today. . . Doritos. Not our usual snack, but sometimes only they will do. "All things in moderation," as Mr. V often reminds us. Ms. Shutz, a kindergarten teacher here at Cale, also came out this afternoon to join the fun. She'll be running her own club for a while but will rejoin us later in the year.
Today's pictures are courtesy of club member, Larry. I also took some with another camera, but his were much better.
BIG NEWS! Cale alum Dylan Berger has agreed to build a shed for the garden to fulfill the requirements for being an Eagle Scout. I met with him this afternoon right after garden club, and it looks like it will be completed just after the end of this school year. We'll have a Grand Opening celebration when we come back next year.
OTHER BIG NEWS! Look for the return of the Armstrongs (Ms. Deirdre and Mr. Phil), our farming friends from over in the Valley, in the near future.
Well, that's all for now. Hey, turn your computer off and get outside. It's a beautiful day!
Mr. Rough
P.S. Nicky, I'm really sorry I've been misspelling your name in the other posts. Thanks for correcting me.
Today Mr. V was back and taught us about umami. That's the taste best described as savory (as compared to sweet, salty, bitter, etc.). We got to taste it at the end of club today. . . Doritos. Not our usual snack, but sometimes only they will do. "All things in moderation," as Mr. V often reminds us. Ms. Shutz, a kindergarten teacher here at Cale, also came out this afternoon to join the fun. She'll be running her own club for a while but will rejoin us later in the year.
Today's pictures are courtesy of club member, Larry. I also took some with another camera, but his were much better.
BIG NEWS! Cale alum Dylan Berger has agreed to build a shed for the garden to fulfill the requirements for being an Eagle Scout. I met with him this afternoon right after garden club, and it looks like it will be completed just after the end of this school year. We'll have a Grand Opening celebration when we come back next year.
OTHER BIG NEWS! Look for the return of the Armstrongs (Ms. Deirdre and Mr. Phil), our farming friends from over in the Valley, in the near future.
Well, that's all for now. Hey, turn your computer off and get outside. It's a beautiful day!
Mr. Rough
P.S. Nicky, I'm really sorry I've been misspelling your name in the other posts. Thanks for correcting me.
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| Nicky and Molly |
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| What'd you find, Addi? |
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| Beamer's new friend. |
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| Mr. V. |
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| Larry, our photographer of the day. |
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| The flower bed soil is much improved. |
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| Digging |
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| Our target of the day. |
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| Gardening, a social activity. |
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| Beamer |
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| Ms. Shutz joined us today. |
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| Helen, Addi, Molly, and Destiny |
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| Say "hello" to our little friends. |
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
This Is Why
Over the last couple of years, different people have asked me why I'm running the school garden. It became very clear today. Here are a bunch of kids, kindergarteners to fourth graders, hanging out together, outside in the sun, digging in the dirt, and talking. I looked up at one point today, and everyone was smiling. That's why.
Ms. Massie joined us today and said she'd be back. Molly and Nikki's sister, Cassie also got to skip her normal Tuesday afternoon stuff and join us today.
We missed Mr. V. today but he'll be back next week. In the mean time, we enjoyed some fresh cantaloupe for our snack. Well. . . most of us enjoyed it. SOME PEOPLE insist they don't like cantaloupe even though they ate two pieces. .
Ms. Massie joined us today and said she'd be back. Molly and Nikki's sister, Cassie also got to skip her normal Tuesday afternoon stuff and join us today.
We missed Mr. V. today but he'll be back next week. In the mean time, we enjoyed some fresh cantaloupe for our snack. Well. . . most of us enjoyed it. SOME PEOPLE insist they don't like cantaloupe even though they ate two pieces. .
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| Ms. Massie joined us today and says she'll be back! |
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| Cassie also got to forgo her normal commitments and come out to the garden today. |
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| Larry - mid-sneeze |
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| Lucas and Ian talking in the garden. |
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| A Beamer action shot. |
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| Who took this?!?! |
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| Helen and Destiny |
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| Cassie, Esteban, and Molly |
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| Blake cleared most of this bed by himself. |
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| Molly, Addi, and Cassie |
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Calendar Says That Technically It's Still Winter. . .
. . . but you wouldn't know it. Today we're 20 degrees above the normal temperatures for this time of year and the weather folks are calling the last frost date about two weeks earlier than they did last year.
Anyway, it was great gardening weather. We started our first batch of compost tea (thanks to Deirdre and Phil Armstrong for getting us started last year), started a bunch of seeds (two lettuces, two chards, zucchini, beets and zinnias), and enjoyed some banana bread and peanut butter cake from Chef V. All in all, about as perfect an afternoon as you could wish for. (Yes, I did just end a sentence with a preposition. And yes, I feel bad about it.)
Anyway, it was great gardening weather. We started our first batch of compost tea (thanks to Deirdre and Phil Armstrong for getting us started last year), started a bunch of seeds (two lettuces, two chards, zucchini, beets and zinnias), and enjoyed some banana bread and peanut butter cake from Chef V. All in all, about as perfect an afternoon as you could wish for. (Yes, I did just end a sentence with a preposition. And yes, I feel bad about it.)
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| What we did in Garden Club today. |
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| Beautiful garden weather. |
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| No, this is not one of Mr. Rough's crazy soup recipes. |
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| It's compost tea. |
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| A decent number of starts. |
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| What we need to get planted before too long. |
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| The Motley Garden Crue. . . errrr, sorry. . . Crew. |
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Post Snow Garden Club
Another great Garden Club meeting today, despite the yesterday's hideous reminder that winter is not quite over. We spread some more compost, turned it into the garden and caught up on a bit of weeding. Next week, we'll be starting some seeds.  |
| Nikki came to club a little early today. She got to listen to me "yell" at my class |
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| I think I may be in trouble. |
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| Cale needs a "Best View In The County" award. |
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| Come on, guys! Turn that compost into the soil! |
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| Nikki and Helen |
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| Kevin spreading compost. |
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| Hard at work |
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| Larry putting his weight into his work. |
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| One of the hardest working people in Garden Club |
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| "You mean I'm standing in horse poop?!?!" |
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| And now I know why everyone wanted to help Mr. V. |
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Garden Club Returns!
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| Molly and Beamer spreading compost. |
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| Esteban and I taking a break. |
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| Esteban and Lucas spreading compost. |
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| Mr. V and Helen going off for another load. |
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Let's Garden
Okay, health issues dealt with, winter almost done, it's time! We'll start up the Cale School Garden Club this Tuesday afternoon. It's a little early, but let's get out there and start cleaning up so we can have a great spring planting. Besides, we've already got flowers at my house.
There's not as much happening at school but let's take a garden walk to see what's starting to bud. Then we can work on cleaning up the compost pile. It seems to have escaped it's box.
Usual time and place: 2:30-3:30, meet in my room. There are no buses running that late so either your parents will need to pick you up or you'll need to head to After School.
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| Hellebores 1/30/12 |
There's not as much happening at school but let's take a garden walk to see what's starting to bud. Then we can work on cleaning up the compost pile. It seems to have escaped it's box.
Usual time and place: 2:30-3:30, meet in my room. There are no buses running that late so either your parents will need to pick you up or you'll need to head to After School.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
It's been a while. . .
Hey folks,
Sorry I've been not keeping up with the old garden blog lately. I've had some health issues that will hopefully be resolved in the next week or so. I'm having kidney stone surgery this week, so there will be no club meeting on October 11th. According to my doctor, I'll still be recovering.
Anyway, the Garden Club has had a late start, but I anticipate going full tilt in the near future. The garden itself is a total mess at the moment, as I went on vacation over the summer and it was a bit neglected for most of July and August. Also, moving to 4th grade has really cut into my garden planning time. No matter, though, I'm ready to get going.
We'll be meeting today to do some weeding and start taking down our old fence. Mr. V has a friend who is going to help us out with putting up something a little more aesthetically pleasing. Also, a shed is in our future.
Garden Club will officially start on the 18th so keep an eye here for plenty of news and pictures.
Mr. Rough
Sorry I've been not keeping up with the old garden blog lately. I've had some health issues that will hopefully be resolved in the next week or so. I'm having kidney stone surgery this week, so there will be no club meeting on October 11th. According to my doctor, I'll still be recovering.
Anyway, the Garden Club has had a late start, but I anticipate going full tilt in the near future. The garden itself is a total mess at the moment, as I went on vacation over the summer and it was a bit neglected for most of July and August. Also, moving to 4th grade has really cut into my garden planning time. No matter, though, I'm ready to get going.
We'll be meeting today to do some weeding and start taking down our old fence. Mr. V has a friend who is going to help us out with putting up something a little more aesthetically pleasing. Also, a shed is in our future.
Garden Club will officially start on the 18th so keep an eye here for plenty of news and pictures.
Mr. Rough
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Alice Water's Is Expanding The Edible Schoolyard
We will definitely find a way of associating with this once they have it up and running later in the fall.
Join the Edible Schoolyard Project! from The Edible Schoolyard Project on Vimeo.
Join the Edible Schoolyard Project! from The Edible Schoolyard Project on Vimeo.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Happy July!
I went over to the garden today. I've been sort of slacking in my garden duties for the past two weeks, but we've had plenty of rain, so I haven't been too worried about it. Ah, the weeds! The weeds in the vegetable garden are nuts. We need to have a weeding party soon. I picked some beets and there are more to be had. The lettuces are done, but there are other greens too. Help yourself. I'll be in on Tuesday to do some weeding and cleaning up.
On my way to school, I stopped by Southern States. They're having a sale on bushes and trees this weekend if you're in the market for some. I picked up two nice butterfly bushes for the flower bed, a white one, and a light purple one. They seem to like their new home in our flower bed.
Speaking of which, the flower bed looks just spectacular right now. You all should go check it out. The lilies, cone flowers, daisies and new butterfly bushes are in bloom. It'll be interesting to see how they expand in the next few years. There's still plenty of room for more stuff, too.
In other news, there are apples on our lone apple tree. Six to be precise. The weight of the fruit is starting to weigh the tree to the side a bit so I'll be tying it up with stakes this coming week as well. Also, there's a garden shed in our future! I really can't tell you how happy I'll be to be able to store stuff at school in a safe and secure place and not have to run tools back and forth from home. I think it'll make my ability to do school projects in the garden much easier. Also, it'll give us a space to get out of the blazing sun. Ms. Jones and I are also talking about putting a pavilion space out there where classes could work outside in a sheltered area.
In that same vein of thought, that fence we have is really starting to get on my last nerve. To be frank, it's ugly. I talked briefly about it with Mr. V. a month or so back. He's willing to buy a side of the fence. Anyone else want to step up? I'm thinking a picket fence that the kids could decorate (tastefully) and allows teachers to keep an eye on what's happening over there. It doesn't need to be very high, as we really don't seem to have any animal issues (knock on wood this should continue), but something that will block soccer balls from rolling through the plants.
That's it for now. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend. I'll be in the garden next Tuesday and Friday if you want to get your hands dirty.
On my way to school, I stopped by Southern States. They're having a sale on bushes and trees this weekend if you're in the market for some. I picked up two nice butterfly bushes for the flower bed, a white one, and a light purple one. They seem to like their new home in our flower bed.
Speaking of which, the flower bed looks just spectacular right now. You all should go check it out. The lilies, cone flowers, daisies and new butterfly bushes are in bloom. It'll be interesting to see how they expand in the next few years. There's still plenty of room for more stuff, too.
In other news, there are apples on our lone apple tree. Six to be precise. The weight of the fruit is starting to weigh the tree to the side a bit so I'll be tying it up with stakes this coming week as well. Also, there's a garden shed in our future! I really can't tell you how happy I'll be to be able to store stuff at school in a safe and secure place and not have to run tools back and forth from home. I think it'll make my ability to do school projects in the garden much easier. Also, it'll give us a space to get out of the blazing sun. Ms. Jones and I are also talking about putting a pavilion space out there where classes could work outside in a sheltered area.
In that same vein of thought, that fence we have is really starting to get on my last nerve. To be frank, it's ugly. I talked briefly about it with Mr. V. a month or so back. He's willing to buy a side of the fence. Anyone else want to step up? I'm thinking a picket fence that the kids could decorate (tastefully) and allows teachers to keep an eye on what's happening over there. It doesn't need to be very high, as we really don't seem to have any animal issues (knock on wood this should continue), but something that will block soccer balls from rolling through the plants.
That's it for now. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend. I'll be in the garden next Tuesday and Friday if you want to get your hands dirty.
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