Owing to the major construction work at CDS this year our beautiful garden is totally out of bounds - however this has not stopped us planting what we can, in the large herb planter that the PA bought as a gold panning trough for last year's "Boots & Bling" Gala Fundraiser. We picked a warm, sunny, accessible spot in the playground for it and are planting things that require limited space and will harvest as quickly as possible before school is out. (We hope!)
As usual the weather has been unpredictable - a very warm spell lulled us into a false sense of security, followed by a bitterly cold snap with below freezing temps in the middle of April. However my brilliant Lower School gardeners have done their very best and it was been wonderful to get outside over the past couple of weeks (before all this relentless rain) to plant some new and interesting vegetables like dill and rainbow swiss chard as well as some old favorites like radishes and lettuce. I am happy to report that seedlings are sprouting beautifully.
As usual the weather has been unpredictable - a very warm spell lulled us into a false sense of security, followed by a bitterly cold snap with below freezing temps in the middle of April. However my brilliant Lower School gardeners have done their very best and it was been wonderful to get outside over the past couple of weeks (before all this relentless rain) to plant some new and interesting vegetables like dill and rainbow swiss chard as well as some old favorites like radishes and lettuce. I am happy to report that seedlings are sprouting beautifully.
Prekindergarteners and kindergarteners asked and answered lots of questions while we were out on the playground planting. We talked about what seeds need to grow and how amazing the differences are between the teeny tiny seeds from the seed packets and what the plants look like when they first peek through the soil. We talked about the word 'germination' and how radishes and carrots grow down into the soil which is why we call them 'root vegetables'. We talked about how lettuces, swiss chard and dill grow up and out of the soil and the differences between them.
Prek couldn't believe the vibrant colors this type of swiss chard will grow into - "no wonder it's called the colors of the rainbow".
We all learnt that swiss chard is actually a relative of the beetroot family and that we eat the leaves as we would spinach leaves and the stalks as we would asparagus. The reason it's called swiss chard is a mystery but apparently it has nothing to do with Switzerland!
We all learnt that swiss chard is actually a relative of the beetroot family and that we eat the leaves as we would spinach leaves and the stalks as we would asparagus. The reason it's called swiss chard is a mystery but apparently it has nothing to do with Switzerland!
Kindergarten learnt that dill is a herb - 'just like basil and parsley'. It is used for adding flavour to food - especially in sauces and dressings over fish and on salads.
The three 'Ps" : Preschool, Planting & Peas!
Preschool did a wonderful job a few weeks ago planting pea seed in pots in their classrooms, watching them, tending and watering them. The seedlings emerged very quickly indoors and are now out in the playground in 2 big planters and we are hoping we will have a little crop before school is out. We are also hoping that no chipmunks, squirrels or bunnies decide to snack on our tasty pea shoots before this happens..
Back in the spring of 2014 when our CDS Learning garden was still under construction, children throughout the school planted sunflowers in pots in classrooms and when the seedlings were established we planted one per homeroom out in the garden itself and started a competition to see whose would be tallest. Mrs. Jablonski's then prek class were the winners and when those children transferred into kindergarten, they harvested the heads and saved the seeds. This time last year those same children began the cycle all over again. Now many of these same children are in 1st Grade and it was wonderful to continue this yearly tradition - planting, harvesting, planting and harvesting for the 3rd year running! Watch this space for seedling updates !