Looking back at the spring gardens

Spring 2016 started the 3rd season of the Project Grow Gardens at Mary Bethune Elementary and The Music Settlement. Year 3 brought us new people, beds, plants, and critters!!

-Over 15 volunteers from Gateway Heights Church to help with the after school program and tutor during the school day
-Co teaching with my big brother Lee
-About 50 Mary Bethune students on the garden team
-About 40 Music Settlement preschool students on the garden team
-A new seed starting apprentice (Debbie Volker)
-Newly designed garden beds thanks to Dave, Kyle, and Scott
-A new irrigation system thanks to Kyle
-4 rain barrels with rain catchment from the hoop house painted by the garden club students
-400 seedlings planted and cared for by my 3 year old preschool class at The Music Settlement
-And 2 summer gardening crews totally 18 folks!!
-TONS of worms have made the gardens their home due to the amazing soil we have been building for 3 years!

This season has truly been a collaboration to remember!!!

Cameron transplanting seedings with the freshly painted rain barrels behind him.

Mary Bethune students learning how to plant seeds according to square foot gardening and companion planting techniques. We discussed how it would feel to share a bed with your brother/sister. How would it feel to add another sibling, and another, and mom, and dad, and grandma/grandpa. You would be too crowded! You need a certain amount of space to be comfortable and grow. Plants need a certain amount of space so they get their own water, nutrients, and sunlight. 

Mary Bethune students learning how to handle the seedlings with care. We compare it to holding a baby. You can not hold a baby by the head, neck or leg. You have to hold its bum and support the head. With seedlings, you have to hold the root ball (the part with soil on it) and support the stem. (photo taken in April)

From left to right: pac choi, mustard greens, lettuce, spring onions, spinach, kale planted in the fall by Mrs. Hatcher's class. All of this was harvested multiple times in January and February to make salads in the classroom. The students were amazed to see their plant grow through the winter in the hoop house. They love eating the fresh greens too! Some came back for second and third helpings! (photo taken in April)

Lee and I hosting booths at a community program event in May. He and I got to team teach this semester and had a blast together! All the food on the table was grown through the winter in the hoop house. Community members were floored when they found out the students grew it all! 

Hoop House at Mary Bethune

Kyle's new irrigation system that involved drilling lots of holes in our hose to hook up drip tape. Drip tape is an easy to use system when beds are in rows. This bed features collards, kale, swiss chard, sorel, and sunflowers. (photo taken in April)

The Music Settlement garden uses soaker hoses instead of drip tape. Soaker hoses can be bent and curved and turned to fit whatever shaped bed/garden you have. Drip tape can not be bent or curved. (photo taken in April) 

I have heard from the summer crew that the gardens are flourishing and booming with food. I'll post recent photos soon!