Cultivators of the Earth
“Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds.” – Thomas Jefferson
Lofty words, but they serve as inspiration for this Presidents’ Day holiday. This week, students in Ms. Pluger, Mr. Pharis, Ms. Nur and Ms Kingsbury’s classes heard the story First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew by Robbin Gourley. The story celebrates the role of gardens in the history of the White House, and how First Lady Michelle Obama started a new garden with the help of elementary school students in Washington D.C. to encourage healthier eating. It’s always gratifying to see students enthusiasm around growing, and we look forward to a bountiful spring season!
One method used in the First Garden to extend the growing season through the mild winter is a hoop house. Learn how to employ this yourself at a free workshop next weekend at City People’s Garden Store. These simple structures will allow you to eat greens and carrots from your garden all year round.
Enjoy your mid-winter break!
A spring in your step
There is nothing like a few sunny days to change one’s outlook on life come February in Seattle. All around signs of new growth are peeking out of the ground and starting to show on trees. While it’s still too early to get planting, there are endless opportunities to get inspired and plan your garden this year.
Northwest Flower and Garden Show starts this Wednesday February 8th and goes through Sunday the 12th at the Washington State Convention Center. Sit in on a lecture with garden experts, let the kids listen to Caspar Babypants at the Children’s Garden, discover new flowers and plants, get inspiration from demonstration gardens, a gardener’s dreamland.
Free workshops at City People’s Garden Store…learn how to prune your ornamentals, build a terrarium, grow fruit trees, or tend chickens…a workshop almost every weekend!
Ever wondered how to pollinate the fruit trees in your yard? Mason orchard bees are incredible non-aggressive pollinators. Save yourself the work and rent some from www.rentmasonbees.com — learn all about it at this class at Bradner Gardens on 2/18.
Want to garden, but don’t have the space? Visit the Rainier Beach Urban Farm for their weekly work parties Saturday from 10 – 3. Meet local gardeners and get your hands in the dirt!
A day of service
This Monday, our country will honor the great Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., a man known for his service and dedication to creating a world of equality for all. How amazing would it be if we all did an act of service to better our community? Here are a few local opportunities:
Monday January 16th, 10 am – 2 pm Commemorate Reverend King’s birthday by joining neighbors and friends doing restoration work to help make Seward Park a better natural space. We’ve got three nasty invasive species here – blackberry, ivy, and holly – that steal sunshine from and crowd out our native forest plants without providing good habitat for birds or animals. Gloves, tools, and snacks provided. Wear sturdy shoes and clothing suitable for the weather. Bring a lunch and reusable water bottle. Meet at the top of the park at Picnic Shelter 3. Register here.
Monday January 16th 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Participate in the 30th Annual MLK Jr. Rally and March at Garfield High School. Seminars about social justice topics start at 9:30, a rally at 11:00, and a march to the Federal Building starting at 12:30
Any time this weekend, Monday or any day of the year: Give some love to the campus at Graham Hill! Bring a trash bag, gloves and your family to the school grounds and do some much needed trash clean up around the school and local neighborhood.
Over the last few weeks, the Graham Hill community has been faced with many challenges, let us take a lead from the words of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and strive to work together to maintain a school of quality education with equal access to all.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” -Martin Luther King Jr.
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Together we can do it!
a fresh start
There is nothing like a new year to inspire change in our lives! Before looking ahead to the future, it’s always helpful to see how far we’ve come. In 2011, our three year old garden program flourished (despite some setbacks)…
Students sowed and harvested potatoes, broccoli, kale, chard, radishes, tomatoes, basil, onions, lettuce, raspberries, snap peas, parsley, and mint.
Students removed invasive weeds on campus, added compost and mulch, and planted bulbs.
Our green team students led fellow students in composting their lunches and snacks to divert tens of thousands of pounds of compostable/recyclable waste from going to the landfill.
Students learned about pollinators, worms and other beneficial insects and how to attract them to the garden.
We installed a vertical garden, added additional feed trough bins and barrels to expand our growing space, including a new native garden. We also installed a rain barrel to collect water and a secured storage unit to hold tools.
Students created hundreds of beautiful prayer flags to hang in the garden area, making the space come alive with color and energy.
What differences will you make in your life, your community, your world this year?
Get outside for 30 minutes every day. Be it a walk, pulling weeds, playing catch or hula hooping, studies show that children (and grown ups) who spend time in nature are more productive, experience less stress, and make healthier choices.
Walk, bike, bus or carpool … save money on gas and parking and improve air quality!
Buy nothing new for one month … just what it sounds like, you buy nothing new (except for food/medicines/necessities) for a designated period of time. Check out consignment stores or the Goodwill, make something by hand, borrow from a friend, or go without … you will be surprised by how resourceful you can be.
Learn something new. Have you been thinking about having your own chickens or bees? Seattle Tilth will teach you everything to know. Grow an unusual flower or herb from seed, find out what birds live in your yard, or visit a new park every week.
Help kids turn their lunch leftovers into compost. For just one hour, be it each week, each month or just once this year — come have lunch with our students and supervise our green team members. It’s easy and vital work, and we need your support!
Get organized. When you are cleaning out your shelves or garage, consider donating used gardening books, planters and tools to our school. We are slowly building a tool library and love to find interesting containers to grow plants!
Help in a classroom. If you have some flexibility during the day and want to help students, email grahamhillgarden@gmail.com and we’ll match you up with an opportunity!
Make a difference. We all have the power to make our community a better place … use your strengths and passions to improve the world around you!
Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
“To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. “
Happy New Year everyone, looking forward to greatness and growth in 2012!
Islandwood Adventure!
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Last month, Graham Hill’s 5th graders headed to the amazing Islandwood for a four day adventure on 255 acres of beautiful wilderness and wetlands on Bainbridge Island. It is not only a time for students to learn lessons in science, writing, cooking, gardening, and orienteering…but inspires students to be life-long environmental stewards. Students were able to play African drums, sing songs in friendship circles, traverse suspension bridges, explore on “floating classrooms”, go on night hikes, forage for mushrooms, work as a team as a “blind caterpillar”, and deepen friendships with one another.
Thank you to the Islandwood staff, the Graham Hill staff and parents for giving students this incredible opportunity.
Wishing everyone happy holidays and new year of peace, growth, and adventure!
Coming inside …
The blustery and cold weather doesn’t have to mean goodbye to plants. Mr. Pharis’s 1st graders proved that when they made their own “chia pets” with some hosiery, soil, grass seed and a googley eye or two.
What fun to see the magic in a seed! Winter is a great time to discover terrarium gardens, house plants, and forced bulbs. Not only do indoor plants bring beauty inside, but they are also excellent at improving indoor air quality.
Have a wonderful week off, Happy Thanksgiving!
Nature Dates:
Nature Book and Gift Sale December 3rd 10 -3 at Seward Park Audubon Center, a great place to find gifts that share the love of nature with family and friends…field guides, outdoor adventure books, children’s books and more!
Where can you see reindeer, Curley the Camel and his sidekick Moe, beautiful plants, AND an amazing holiday train? Swansons Nursery’s annual Reindeer Festival is not to be missed!
Making an investment
Mother Nature was kind to us today! It was a gorgeous, sunny morning to plant daffodil bulbs with our youngest students at Graham Hill. This is one of my favorite garden activities, such a simple act but full of symbolism and hope. A bulb doesn’t look like much, kind of shriveled and odd. You dig a hole, you drop it in and cover it up. When the warm weather returns, out of the ground pop beautiful, colorful flowers. This small investment in the future yields big returns. This is not unlike the investment we are making in our children by teaching them about nature and allowing them to connect with it as often as possible. These small people are the future caretakers of a planet that has many challenges ahead…days like today make me hopeful about the outcome.
Thanks to Rachel Harrison and Sara Bracken for making everything run so smoothly!
Nature Dates:
Screening of Mother Nature’s Child Wednesday November 16th 6:30 p.m. St. Joseph School Auditorium. This thought provoking documentary asks the questions: Why do children need unstructured time outside? What is the place of risk-taking in healthy child development? How is play a form of learning? Why are teachers resistant to taking students outside? How can city kids connect with nature? What does it mean to educate the ‘whole’ child? The film was directed by the sister of former GH Montessori teacher, Liz Tesch, who will be in attendance at the screening.
Super Saturday at the Seward Park Audubon Center Saturday, November 12, 10:00 – 3:00. Who Would You Be in an Evergreen Tree ? Celebrate the beautiful evergreen plants of Seward Park which make our forest a green oasis year round. Discover why these plants keep their leaves, play games to find out which animals love evergreen trees, and find out why people have long revered them as symbols of eternal life. As always, there will be lots of fun arts and crafts and other activities.
Winding down…
What an amazing Fall Festival! It’s always fun to share a meal with friends, especially when you’ve grown some of the food yourself. Our school pesto and oven-roasted tomatoes SOLD OUT at the country store! We plan to use the proceeds to purchase another feed trough bed and grow even more for next year. Thanks to Rachel Harrison, Melissa Small, Beth Jacoby and countless others for putting on this wonderful event.
As the cool temps and rain moves in, the garden winds down. Before you say goodbye until next spring remember to:
Mulch plants with fallen leaves, shredded wood chips, or compost — your plants will have a better chance of surviving any freezes and you won’t have as many weeds come spring.
Take your hoses in for the season and wrap outdoor faucets.
Get end of season plant bargains at local nurseries, the selection is slim, but there are deals to be had.
Plant spring flowering bulbs now for beauty come March!
Leave some seeds for the birds. Withering plants provide shelter and food for our feathered friends, don’t worry about making things clean now, instead observe nature’s cycle.
Nature Dates:
Make your own terrarium garden class, Saturday November 12th 11:00 a.m. at City People’s Garden Store, create a small oasis inside, fun for little hands, makes a lovely gift!
Guided forest walk, Saturday November 5th 1:00 Seward Park Audubon Center. Don’t let the wind and rain chase you inside! Venture into the forest and explore the hidden treasures of autumn as a naturalist regales you with stories of flora, fauna, and ancient times, register here.
Get out and enjoy the leaves while you can! Kubota Gardens, Mount Baker Park, Seward Park, and the Arboretum are alive with color right now, don’t miss it!
Fall Fest Friday!
Hope to see everyone at Fall Fest tomorrow night, October 28th 5 – 8 p.m.! We are especially proud that many of the dishes to be served on Friday night will feature ingredients from our school garden. Be on the look out for homemade tomato sauce on the pizza and oven roasted tomato toppings, pesto pasta salad, and a beautiful kale and barley salad! We will also be selling pints of pesto at the “country store”(benefitting the garden program), so get it while you can!
Every year Graham Hill’s 5th graders get the unique opportunity to visit an exceptional place of natural beauty and innovative learning at Islandwood on Bainbridge Island. For four days, students, along with teachers and naturalists, explore the 255 acre outdoor learning center while learning about environmental science and developing connections with the natural world. It is a highlight of the year for our 5th graders. We can help to make sure all students are able have this experience one of three ways:
1. Make a donation to Graham Hill PTA and write Islandwood scholarship in the memo.
2. Buy spring flowering bulbs by tomorrow night at this web-site, half of all proceeds benefit the school.
3. Get your photo taken in the photo booth at Fall Fest! For $5, capture your family memories and help our students!
In the garden: 4th and 5th graders are learning about watersheds and wetlands with Master Gardener Betina Simmons, Ms. Yamada’s kindergartners hear about how compost helps our garden grow and tour the worm bin, Ms. Kingsbury’s 2nd graders planted cover crops in the feed troughs, 3rd grade classes are studying spiders and their schoolyard habitat with Audubon, preschoolers and kindergartners will be planting spring bulbs, and Mr. Pharis’s 1st graders will be making seed people and touring the greenhouse!
Nature Dates … a busy Halloween weekend ahead. Be sure to include these fun events in your outings!
Pumpkin carving at Seward Park Audubon Center Saturday October 29th 10 -3. It doesn’t get better than this…bring your own pumpkin or buy one and support the center. They have all the tools you need to make a jack o’lantern masterpiece! All the fun and no mess at your house! If you come at 2:30, you will see zombies performing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”!
Cider press and Halloween party at Bradner Gardens, Sunday 2 – 4. Bring your washed apples to press your own cider, wander the garden while the kids collect treasures…this charming event is a highlight of the season.
fifteen minutes
Did you know that the average child (ages 8 – 18) spends over 40 hours a week in front of some form of media, be it television, cell phone, or computer? More and more, kids are spending greater amounts of time indoors and less time outside exploring, discovering and connecting with nature. I recently picked up a book, 15 Minutes Outside, 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect With Your Kids . It is a great resource full of ideas and games to get your family outside breathing fresh air and having some fun. The book is categorized by season and offers an idea for every day of the year. Some favorites for October:
Hunt for nuts and seeds: acorns, maple helicopters, hazelnuts….what kinds of seeds can you find?
Jump the river: take two sticks and place parallel from one another representing the “sides” of the river. Take turns jumping across, moving the sticks further apart each time until everyone has fallen “in the river”.
Color scavenger hunt: try to find as many orange, red, or brown things in your neighborhood…go further, what about five things with scents, things that make sounds, things with texture?
In this spirit, I hope you and your family will get out this weekend and enjoy all the things autumn has to offer.
In the garden, it is time to get ready for winter…
Mulch! Apply wood chips or compost to your garden beds to help protect roots from frigid temps, prevent weeds, improve soil tilth and retain nutrients! Fallen leaves are another excellent natural mulch that will add nutrients to the soil as they decompose (don’t rake all of them up!).
Drain water hoses and put away for winter.
Clean, sharpen and oil hand tools and store in dry place for winter months.
Start (or record in) a garden journal–what worked this year and what didn’t? When did things come on? Where did you plant things? This will be a big help in garden planning for next spring!
In Graham Hill’s garden, students will be planting cover crops, fava beans and red leaf clover, in our feed trough beds to return nitrogen to the soil. We are adding rich compost from our worm bin to feed our overwintering crops (kale, swiss chard, broccoli, garlic and shallots). Also, we are using those last tomatoes for pizza sauce for the Fall Fest on October 28th…don’t miss it!
