Planting our Garden

The week of March 23rd, we are finally planting. The children are so excited. The first to plant were the 2nd grade. They have the radishes. These plants were a good 2 inches tall when placed in the ground. A good 48 plants were planted.

The next to plant were the Kindergarten classes. They have the squash. Their plants look so healthy and are at least 2 inches tall.

Fourth grade has had poor success with their lettuces. They planted 4 different types into their milk cartons. They shot up quickly but over the last couple of weeks have really wilted. We have planted what few we could salvage but it doesn't look good. We have a few seeds left over so we will plant those also. I think we have learned that with lettuce we need to plant the seeds directly into the garden. Fortunately we have some cabbages so we will plant those in the rest of the lettuce space.

Fifth grade has planted their spinach and that is also looking good.

First grade, zucchini and third grade, carrots also plant this week.

Fertilizing our Garden

The weekend of March 6th, my sweet husband agreed to come to the school and til our garden. After tilling and removing a large number of rocks and clay, we put 3 bags of lime into the garden and then tilled that in also.

On Friday, March 13th, I put 2 bags of Purlite and with the help of a group of 5th graders, spread 400 pounds of top soil to further inhance the soil.

With watering, the soil is starting to look a little more fertile. The weekend of March 20th, my sweet husband agreed to til again. A 40 pound bag of 12-12-12, 2-36 pound bags of Milorganite used as a fertilizer and to prevent deer and rabbit intrusions, and a bag of soil conditioner were further tilled into the garden.

We were very fortunate, that our local Garden and Farm Supply Company agreed to donate some of the above. With our red clay type soil, I hope this has been enough fertilizer.

Herb Garden

I have received some interest regarding our Herb Garden. When we started our Youth Advisory Committee on Nutrition, I decided to incorporate herbs into the lesson plans. I watched several television specials on herbs, bought numerous books, and tried to learn as much about them as I could. The last two years, at each of our monthly meetings, we would discuss a different herb, its nutritional value, its medicinal value, and what foods we could incorporate them in. We started growing them in pots in the healthroom and then gave them to the children at the end of the school year.

Last year, our Green Team planted some for us in one of our little garden areas. They have done well outside even during the winter until our 5 inches of snow this month. One of our YAC children, Allison Dunlap, comes one day each week at 7:15 A.M. and helps cut the fresh herbs and takes them to the cafeteria. They are then incorporated in the lunch menu each week. On our morning television show, the herb of the month is discussed.

We have recently replenished the herb garden with some new plants and seeds since the snow. I have included some pictures.

We've Sprouted!!!

After 5 days in our recycled milk cartons . We have sprouted. The children are so excited!!!

Community Input

On February 27th, we had a School Improvement Council meeting. This meeting consisted of numerous parents, teachers, myself, principal, a master-gardener, and two guests from Roebuck Greenhouses and Carolina Farm Supply.


The "Eat Smart, It's in the Garden grant and the "All-Health Team" grant were explained. Then all of us went outside to the garden site. Input was given from numerous parents re: landscaping and donations. Our two guests walked off the garden and gave recommendations regarding preparing the soil for planting. Our master-gardener helped measure off the areas for the different vegetables allowing for children to walk between the rows.

We are excited about all the good advice from these excellent resources.

Healthy Harversters Planting Their Seeds

On February 19th and 20th, the children saved their milk cartons and the cafeteria staff and teachers washed over 400 of these cartons. They were placed in each of the classrooms to dry. I purchased two bags of 2.8 cubic feet of Fafard Super-fine Germanating Soil and the children filled their milk cartons and planted their seeds in them this week. They are keeping up with the date they planted the seeds and will document how often they water, when the seeds break the surface of the dirt, and how much growth before we plant outside, the end of March. They will also document how many seeds matured. All the children are very excited about the garden and can't wait to plant outside. I will enclose pictures of the children planting their seeds.

I am so fortunate that this faculty is so enthusiastic. They have supported this project 150% and are constantly providing me with great resources and ideas. I think we all feel that with the economy and the world in the shape it is, that teaching these children how to grow their own healthy foods and how to recycle will make a huge impact in their world and in their health.

I have never done a blog before and am not very computer smart. I have not been able to figure out how to post the letters that I have sent home to the parents. At this point I am afraid you will have to just see the pictures.

Healthy Harvesters Recycling

Thursday, February 19th, 2009.

We are sending a letter home to all our parents tomorrow re: the garden. I will enclose the letter. Each grade level has chosen a vegetable to grow. Kindergarten will grow squash, first zucchini, second radishes, third carrots, fourth lettuce, and fifth spinach. On Monday the students will bring in their seeds. We will recycle our milk cartons from the cafeteria. These will be used for the students to plant their seedlings. The students will watch their seedlings grow in their classrooms and document their growth until time to plant.