Bountiful Harvest

We're finally getting some much needed rain!  It stopped drizzling long enough for the gardeners to harvest some onions, zuchini and peppers.  They decided to leave this sunburst zucchini until next time.

Sunburst Zucchini
 

Today we talked about different ways to use and preserve produce from the gardens.  Tammy Miller taught the class how to can salsa.  Everyone pitched in to mash tomatos and chop peppers and garlic.  All the students got to can their own jar of salsa to take home. 

Canning lesson

Mashing tomatos
 

There was enough left over to enjoy with chips.!

Enjoying our salsa!

 

What's Up Doc?

It's still hot and dry in the garden.  We've seen more insect and deer damage.

Checking for eggs

Marlin Bates, horticulture specialist, taught the young gardeners how to identify and diagnose normal and abnormal plant conditions.  They learned to define the symptoms and signs of plant problems, and to determine living (like insects and deer) and non-living (weather, soil conditions, chemicals)factors.

Looking for symptoms on this squash

Marin showing the class what to look for

Good, Bad and Beautiful Bugs

Today Ms Chris taught the class all about bugs!.  They started in the garden, where she identified lots of bugs, both good and bad.  Chris and the gardeners found bean beetles, lacewings, lady beetles - and the dreaded squash vine borer.

Bug patrol
 

looking at bug damage on a leaf

 The students learned the parts of an insect, and that you can tell a lot about a bug by the damage left behind.  Bugs have different types of mouth parts - some bugs chew, others pierce and suck. 

Bugs were hungry!

the parts of an insect

Zoning Out

Squash plant lost to bacterial wilt

The tomato is almost ready to harvest!

Examining a squash blossom

Everyone worked hard in the garden today!

Morgan's odd shaped pepper

Checking the plant catalogs

Making seed ball 'cookies'

Today's lesson was zones.  The gardeners looked at plant catalogs and chose plants they would like to grow in their gardens.  They paid attention to hardiness zones and growing seasons, and noted the cost of the plants.

Container Gardening

The lesson today was container gardening.  The students learned that controlling the soil content and fewer weeds are some of the benefits of container gardens.  Mr. Charles showed the gardeners how to make their own container gardens.  They all took home a container garden planted with lettuce.

Fruit or Veggie

It was hot and dry in the garden today.  The young gardeners found these squash bug eggs.  Several of the eight-ball zucchini squash plants have developed powdery mildew.

Squash bug eggs

Powdery Mildew on leaves

 Today's lesson was "Fruit or Veggie".  The students learned that many of the foods they know as vegetables are botanically fruit.  If it has seeds, it's a fruit.  Tomatos, squash, cucumbers - as well as apples, cantelope and peaches - all fruit!

After the lesson the gardeners painted picture frames to hold pictures of their gardens.

Mariah and Morgan painting picture frames

Landon's picture frame

Pistils, Petals and Other Parts

Today Lala Kumar taught the students all about the parts of a flower.  The lesson started in the garden and continured in the classroom.

Lala teaching the class about squash blossoms
 

Learning the parts of a flower

Miss Cass brought watermelon and cantelope flower "cookies" for snacks

 

Here are som of the plants we're growing

Burgundy Beans

Purple Bell Peppers

Sweet Banana Peppers

Okra

Sand, Silt or Clay

The young gardeners weeded and fertilized their gardens today.

Today's lesson was all about dirt - and the kids got to play with it.  They learned about soil texture and structure in a hands-on way!