Putting the School Garden to Sleep

Hazel Moe helps harvest the fennel so the garden can be readied for winter

By Chelsea Cates,
School Garden Keeper

legions of hands
busy little hands
putting the garden to sleep
hands holding rakes
hands holding shovels
loosening the soil so deep
hands harvesting grains
hands harvesting vegetables
to share a good winter stew
hands pulling up plants
hands turning compost
hands starting a new pile too
the days grow short
the days grow cool
time of the tomatoes has ended
time to harvest leeks
to pull out popcorn

Orion Meskew, cutting the old vines from the bean tunnel so more can grow next year.

the last of the harvest is splendid
let’s take apart
the pole bean tunnel
and store it away for the season
seeds have been saved
seeds will be shared
there’s major and many a reason
we’ll plant fava beans
seeds we collected
where the carrot and radish did grow
we have more seeds
of cover crop
a living blanket we’ll sow
the compost pile
is built with stalks
of amaranth, buckwheat, and sunflower
we know that death
of summer plants
means plant food with next year’s sun power
kale and chard
remain through winter
as desired for a garden snack
we’ll build those burritos
instead of Cheetos
green healthy snacks we won’t lack

Leaves from the old oak will be used to blanket the beds.

we sing
our garden to sleep
with our final chatter a roar
we finish
tucking our garden in
as we close this sanctuary door
we’ll say goodwinter
to you dear garden
to the plants and life in the earth
goodbye dear garden
would thy dear garden
wake once again near spring’s rebirth