Notes from the Garden Harvest

During our garden clean up we encountered a few interesting items notable to students and adults alike. While we composted most of the inedible plant parts, not all made it in the bin. The tomato plants, for one, quickly found there way into the trash. Having been hit hard by blight due to a warm and very wet summer, we made sure the diseased plants did not go into the compost. It is important not to compost diseased plants as many disease causing fungi can survive through the winter.
We also found a stranger in the garden... Queen Anne's Lace, Daucus carota, also called wild carrot. Though it is edible just like the domesticated carrot, it becomes too woody for consumption as it matures. Weeds are not wanted in any garden but in this case it offered us a wonderful teaching tool. Over the summer students were encouraged to try many new herbs, vegetables, and fruits from the garden. Some students became incredibly adventurous eating almost anything they found. Enthusiasm and curiosity may be a wonderful thing but can lead to dangers. Our edible friend, Daucus carota, though not particularly tasting, is not dangerous. Poison hemlock, Conium maculatum, an invasive plant that has spread across the northern states, can be deadly. This is why it is important not eat any wild plants unless you are an expert in discerning their species. While this is worth while advice for any student, it is wise to heed by all.

Day Six Summer School

Today is COMPOSTING day --

Yesterday we sent home a note and a zip-lock bag for kids to fill with items for a compost pile.
We have a guest presenter, a master composter and volunteer with the master gardeners group from the region. After the classroom lesson, we head outside to see the humus that a good compost pile can produce. The Mr. P. shows us how to unhook the sides of the mesh box that holds the composting leaves, grass and garden clippings. Our students take turns forking the pile back into the enclosure. This is our way of "turning" the pile. After it is turned, they check the temperature with a special probe and find the temperature climbs to 173 degrees. That's really hot!

Today we also discover our very first pepper growing on one of the plants.

As always, it's also a day to journal and note what has changed.