Dear Garden Parents and Teachers,
We hope you are all enjoying the garden and are finding the new Mill Valley Children's Garden Handbook helpful.
A Quick Reminder
- TASKS-
Remember to check the task list in the tool shed (written in chalk on
the tool shed doors). There is always a list of garden activities to
keep your students busy in case you run out of things to do.
- HARVESTING- When you see a PLEASE HARVEST sign on a bed, that signals that all classes may help themselves to a sampling
of the vegetables in that plot. Please be sure to save some for other
classes to enjoy. Similarly, when your class is ready to share your crop
with the rest of the classes, please place a PLEASE HARVEST sign in
your plot (signs are located in the greenhouse).
- BEDS-
Now is the time to actively tend to our bends and plant our cold
crops. When clearing your bed of weeds and old summer crops, please take
care to not get any dirt from your plot on the newly wood chipped
pathways. If the paths remain dirt-free, they will not grow weeds. Once
the wood chips become full of dirt and seeds, the weeds will once again
take over the pathways. Please communicate with Leslie Myers (lesliewmyers@yahoo.com)
our greenhouse coordinator for guidance in planting seeds and turning
beds. For educational benefits, the Mill Valley Children's Garden should
have only one plant crop per bed (with the exception of the few theme
plots that are grown each semester). With a child's perspective in mind,
this method proves to be less chaotic and the students learn how to
care for and recognize crop types by observing the plants in masses, as
seen on a farm.
- PLANTING-
Because we are aiming for one crop type per bed, we ask that you plant
with the intentions of feeding potentially 300 + little mouths (not just
your own class). Be generous, plant in abundance and share in abundance. We encourage you to plant your seeds BOTH in the greenhouse and in your beds, this will ensure success in your bed! Be
sure to label all plants that you grow in the greenhosue with your
classroom name and vegetable name. You may pick up your seeds at any
time in the tool shed area. Look for the hanging sign that says PICK UP
YOUR SEEDS HERE. Please see the PLANTING GUIDE in your handbook for more
planting information.
- CLEAN UP- Remind the students that
everything that they touch while in the garden needs to be put away
before they leave class: gloves, tools, wheelbarrows, watering cans. Garden parents should do a look around the garden at the end of their class to make sure that their kids put everything away.
- CLASS TIME-
We recommend at least 30 minutes per group of students. Any less and
you will be rushed. Groups of 8 or less students is ideal. This may mean
that the class be divided into 3 groups, or more than 1 parent should
be present.
SPECIAL NOTE
Kindergarten and 3rd graders - Meet Rebecca Mullaney your personal Garden Science Instructor.
She
is meets with the Kindergarteners and third graders a few times each
month in the garden (separate from your garden parent class time). Feel
free to contact her and ask for her advice or bounce around some
ideas. rebella3@gmail.com
4th graders-
Visit the 4th Grade Annual Bee Project- Harvest the sunflower fort,
look over the time line and reach out to the resources (all located in
your Handbook).
Thanks for your time and energy. Happy planting!
Laura E Figuierinhas
lfigueir@comcast.net
Posted by Tim Schultz on October 17
