Although looking out the window today and seeing snowflakes scattered across the sky doesn’t really give us that “spring” feeling of warmth and sunshine, Creekside kitchen garden flex students celebrated spring all week long.
Students began the week in the Creekside greenhouse learning about the differences between soil and dirt. (Is there really a difference? Check out this article for more information.) They were amazed and skeptical to find out that a tablespoon of healthy soil contains more microorganisms than all of the people on earth. It is always great when students fact check their teachers! They also participated in an exploratory seed lesson where they examined different types of seeds noting shape, color, and size and discussed germination. Students were surprised to find out that by the end of the quarter they were all going to help plant over 3000 herb, vegetable and pollinator seeds.
Wednesday and Thursday were planting days for both 5th and 6th graders. They participated in the National Plant a Seed Day and by the end of the week they had successfully planted several varieties of herbs including: parsley, basil, cilantro, lemon balm, sage, chamomile, mint, and thyme.
If you haven’t started thinking of spring seeds there is still time. You can celebrate the change of seasons by starting herbs seeds in a sunny window in your house. Starting herb seeds at the end of March or early April guarantees your seeds will germinate and grow into plants just in time for May/June gardens. If you would like more information for starting herbs from seeds, you can read this article from the National Garden Association’s Learning Library.
If you are too busy or just don’t trust your green thumb, let us do the work for you. Visit our Creekside Spring Plant Sale Fundraiser on May 18 where Creekside students will showcase their horticultural abilities by displaying a variety of herbs and vegetables for sale and ready to plant in your garden or on your patio this summer.
Enjoy!