What A Weekend in the School Garden!

–by Colleen Stewart, School Garden Keeper —

Awesome Americorps Volunteers from all over the US – Selena, Madison, Monica, Hannah, MacKenzie and Joe!

Thank you Americorps Volunteers! On a sunny Saturday, a team of six NCCC Americorps volunteers from around the country worked in our school garden assembling pallet platforms for mural painting, fixing gates with spring closures, securing the compost and worm bin doors with chain, moving a massive dirt pile, installing our sink for washing veggies, making ramps for handicap accessible garden pathways, fixing garden artwork, and braving wasps nests to organize our tool shed. Their work ethic, positivity, humor, and initiative made for an ultra lovely and productive afternoon.

Thank you Jorgen!!

Gate to our garden. Two years in the making, our garden gate received its crowing touch this Sunday– two metal arches with dangling leaves that students have been forging over the past two years with local blacksmith Jorgen Harle. We are so thankful for his guidance and artistry. Also, a big thank you to 7th grade student Ewan who heated, hammered, and installed at each of the past four wrap-up sessions. Come check out our grand new entrance!

A bountiful garden. Last week, in the garden, we planted a potato patch full of yellow, purple and red potatoes. We distributed wood chips around our garden pathways. We gleaned unwanted pallets, wire spools and rocks from the construction site to re-purpose for our garden. The strawberries, kale, broccoli, nasturtium, spinach, carrots, beets, and lettuce already planted this year are thriving, and peas are hanging in there. The kids have also been prepping beds in the old garden and lining them with rocks. We’ve been observing how big the fava bean forest is getting, and how verdant and full our magic Maple tree is these spring days.

Bittersweet lessons. Three dead robin babies were found this week and the kids buried them with song and procession, making them graves scattered in flowers. Just a few months ago, the tone was more celebratory, as the old fence was taken down around the original small garden and the kids held a wedding of the two gardens. The garden continues to give the kids lessons on life, and death as well.

A mural in the making. Artist extraordinaire, Brook Meinhardt, has been working with our 6th grade students to create a mural in our garden from individual sketches the kids drew. Images represent memories from their time in F2C, and include quite a wonky array of bees, bugs, vegetables, an ice cream cone, a hand missing a finger. The mural will be painted over the next few weeks, so be sure to check in on the process.