As I write we are finally beginning to see the back of this interminably cold, long winter.
The snow has melted on the raised beds themselves and the garlic we planted back in
November 2014 is beginning to poke through. Planning is in place with the faculty to roll
out our early first phase of indoor planting -- this will include amongst other things, peas,
fava beans, cucumbers, squashes. Children in lower divisions will plant the seeds in
individual pots and seed trays and keep them in their classrooms or in our small plastic
greenhouse on site - this way children can monitor their growth, watch them germinate,
water them and keep an eye on them at their tender seedling stage. At the moment the
temperatures are still too cold overnight to plant things directly into the garden itself - but
especially with peas and fava beans it is so worth getting a bit ‘ahead of the game’ as
these plants in particular do not like the really humid temperatures that may be with us by
late June in NJ so we should have a peak crop by late May / early June before school gets
out and before the temperatures climb.
I am excited to be trying out sweetcorn for the first time this summer as well as potatoes in
large canvas bags full of soil. A real space saver and such an easy way to grow them! We
are also planning to spend some of our Annie’s Grants for School Garden money on
permanent supports for beans and other climbing veggies which will also be space saving
going forward. Hopefully they will support our sunflowers as well. Speaking of everyone’s
favorite cheerful golden flower, I will shortly be asking Kindergarteners amongst other
classes to retrieve the sunflower seeds we harvested from last year’s crop in order to
replant for this season. Other veggies planned for this year include more salads, beans,
peppers , cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins and squashes.
The snow has melted on the raised beds themselves and the garlic we planted back in
November 2014 is beginning to poke through. Planning is in place with the faculty to roll
out our early first phase of indoor planting -- this will include amongst other things, peas,
fava beans, cucumbers, squashes. Children in lower divisions will plant the seeds in
individual pots and seed trays and keep them in their classrooms or in our small plastic
greenhouse on site - this way children can monitor their growth, watch them germinate,
water them and keep an eye on them at their tender seedling stage. At the moment the
temperatures are still too cold overnight to plant things directly into the garden itself - but
especially with peas and fava beans it is so worth getting a bit ‘ahead of the game’ as
these plants in particular do not like the really humid temperatures that may be with us by
late June in NJ so we should have a peak crop by late May / early June before school gets
out and before the temperatures climb.
I am excited to be trying out sweetcorn for the first time this summer as well as potatoes in
large canvas bags full of soil. A real space saver and such an easy way to grow them! We
are also planning to spend some of our Annie’s Grants for School Garden money on
permanent supports for beans and other climbing veggies which will also be space saving
going forward. Hopefully they will support our sunflowers as well. Speaking of everyone’s
favorite cheerful golden flower, I will shortly be asking Kindergarteners amongst other
classes to retrieve the sunflower seeds we harvested from last year’s crop in order to
replant for this season. Other veggies planned for this year include more salads, beans,
peppers , cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins and squashes.