Let The Gardening Begin!

In early April Michelle Grosek spoke to Kindergarten classes about starting seeds for the school garden.  The kindergartners planted tomato and pepper seeds!  Shortly after sprouting the seedlings headed to their temporary home, a green house at Bear Butte Gardens. We can't wait to see the seedlings to transplant them into our garden bed! 

Michelle Grosek of Bear Butte Gardens.

The Garden Begins...

Mrs. Cook, a third grade teacher, and her daughter Kathleen, a kindergarten student, pull weeds and rake the soil.

 

In a few short hours, 2 1/2 yards of soil pep, and some fertilizer the garden beds are ready for seeds and seedlings.  In the final two weeks of school each grade will sow seeds and seedlings into the garden beds at Sturgis Elementary.  The garden has taken shape over the last three years and will involve the entire school in the next year.  During the growing season (mostly summer months) volunteers, and the Sturgis Afterschool program care for the garden.  When school resumes in August students will be met with a variety of corn, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, beans, herbs, and flowers.  Teachers and students will utilized the garden for a variety of science, literacy, and mathematics lessons through the year!

Let the 2013 Growing Season Begin

Seeding soil blocks.

Sturgis Elementary third grade classes kicked off the 2013 growing season with a visit from Michelle Grosek of Bear Butte Gardens.  Michelle's informative presentation excited and inspired students to seed new plants and encouraged students to imagine the possibility of starting our own garden.  In addition to planting seeds students tasted a variety of sprouts!  Mustard, mung bean, and pea were among the favorites!

Yummm.....seeds!

Thanks to the Sturgis Rally Charities Foundation, we were able to add 3 new raised beds, a fence, and seating to the garden outdoor space this year!  

I can hardly believe that a whole month and a half has flown by!  While there haven't been posts about the garden...many have been busy helping it flourish! 

A HUGE shout out to the Wilen and Cook families for adopting a week in the garden in the month of July.  It was a hot one and not too much growth was seen.  Our evenings are cooling and the garden has finally taken off.


Today with the help of Emma Isaacson, Madison & Evan Johnson, we harvested basil for some staff members.  We saw our first tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, sugar snap peas, and beans!  THANKS to the bees, lady bugs, and other pollinators!  Today was the first day that I saw them milling about the blossoms! 



I am thrilled that in a few short weeks we'll be returning to school.  I can't wait to introduce the garden to a new bunch of learners!  I am also excited to get their help in the garden...harvesting, tasting, and preparing the veggies & herbs!

I was reflecting on the start of the Sturgis Elementary Garden today and wanted to be sure to thank Michelle Grosek of Bear Butte Gardens.  I searched  and searched for the pictures I took that day, but could only find one of a student admiring the herbs and plants she brought in to share with the students.  It was evident after reading the thank you letters that were written to Michelle that she had a tremendous impact on the students' understanding of seed starting.  Students were inspired to seed the first garden at our school and to take their new learning home and start their own family gardens.  Thank you Michelle! 

To learn more about Bear Butte Gardens please visit: http://www.bearbuttegardens.com/Bear_Butte_Gardens/Welcome.html

Thank you to the Leah and the Brengle family!  They cared for the garden during the third week in June! 

The extreme heat this week, June 25-29th,  wiped out some of the petunias.  On a happy note the sugar snap peas and beans are beginning to take off!  The FIRST sugar snap pea was harvested today.  It was delicious!

The beans, tomatoes, and pumpkins have buds and the herbs are nearly ready to be trimmed as well!

Basil, Cilantro, & Flat Leaf Parsley

A bed of tomatoes, carrots, beans, cucumbers, and sugar snap peas!

The first pea!

A Growing Garden

The garden is growing, but we continually battle the elements of "Mother Nature" as we move from spring to summer like weather (some days even feel like fall!) 

The Gordon's...ready to adopt the garden for the week!

A huge thanks to the Gordon family for all the garden care this past week.  The wind really hit the peas hard and Mrs. Isaacson reseeded the cucumbers and beans early in the week.  The bean and cucumber seedlings didn't make it during the first week of extremely and unusually hot late-May temperatures.  The new seeds though have sprouted nicely!



Cucumbers, carrots, & beans in here.



Tomatoes, peas, basil, & carrots round out this planter.

Planting the Garden

On Monday, May 21st (the day before summer break) we ended our school year by planting seedlings in our school garden.  Mrs. Isaacson, Mr. Haraden, and Ms. Russell's classes contributed the seedlings to fill the beds in the garden.  Planted today were:

• Sweet Corn
• Peas
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Beans (variety)
• Cucumbers
• Watermelon
• Tomato
• Rosemary
• Basil
• Carrots

We all had a "hand" in planting today!

The gardens will be maintained by teachers and various families throughout the summer.  Check back often to see the garden's growth and progress!

Putting in the peas.