School Garden Newsletter June 2016

The children have worked so well together on the school garden this year, and the fruits of their labours are clear for all to see.  Seeds sown in pots in school grew into plants which were then planted out.  Not all of the seeds germinated, but nothing is guaranteed in gardening!   Potatoes and baby onions were planted direct into the soil.

The garden is now filled with different coloured lettuces, kale, rainbow chard, potatoes, beans, peas, cabbages, sunflowers (not yet flowering), pumpkins, courgettes, onions, celery and herbs.  The children were keen to get involved, and really enjoyed digging and weeding, sowing and planting, and finding an assortment of bugs.  Apologies to parents for a few muddy knees!

Our welly planters are now hanging along the fence at the front of the school, and either side of the gate leading into the school garden.

There will be a tree planting on Thursday morning at around 10.45am, after the duathlon, and afterwards all parents are welcome to come and see what the children have achieved in the garden.  If you’d like to take some lettuce home with you, let Jo or Nicole know and we’ll bag some up for you.
During the summer holidays we will continue our regular weekly gardening slot on Mondays from 2pm – 3pm.  Please feel free to come along – there is a huge picnic table available if you’d like to come a little earlier and bring your lunch.   You may even see some birds coming to have their lunch at our new bird table.

Jobs for the summer:

• Watering if the weather is dry.  There is a black hosepipe for watering, and the tap is along the top of the fence, to the left side of the willow dome. Aim the flow close to the ground to avoid damaging the plants.
• Weeding.  Tools will be accessible in the bike shed.  If you’re not sure which are the weeds, leave this job!
• Harvesting rainbow chard and lettuce.  Feel free to take a few outer leaves from each lettuce, leaving the plants in the ground to grow on.
• Harvesting beans, peas and courgettes.

 
Potatoes will be harvested when the children return to school.  We plan to organise a Harvest Day in the autumn - a chance to get together and taste some of our lovely organic produce.

The school garden team is currently very small, but we are passionate about creating a beautiful environment where the children can relax, play, and learn about nature and where their food comes from.  If you would like to help by joining in with sowing, planting, weeding or watering, you would be made very welcome.  Get in touch, or just come along one Monday from 2-3pm.
 
Wishing you all a warm, dry, enjoyable summer, 
The School Garden Team.

‘I was just sittin’ here enjoyin’ the company. 
Plants got a lot to say, if you take the time to listen.’ 
Eeyore