Garden Greens

During the winter and spring we still enjoy the garden's bounty -- even if our harvesting selection is a bit more limited. Greens are big winter and spring veggies, though... and believe it or not, kids love them! By the time they've grown, picked and cooked the greens themselves, even kids who swear they don't like greens, are open to trying them. And many come back for seconds!

Check out the greens we've been enjoying in our garden!

Fifth graders harvest romaine and red sail lettuce.

Completed salad: garden lettuces, radishes & calendula flowers plus sliced apples & sunflower seeds -- beautiful and delicious!

Kindergarteners wash Swiss Chard and kale in our new garden sinks!

Preparing greens for a stir fry is easy for kinder -- no knives needed, just tearing!

Left: A small chef enjoying sautéed greens with teriyaki sauce & brown rice. Right: A very healthy Swiss Chard plant. 

Soil Investigators

This past week, kindergarteners explored one of our garden's most valuable resources -- the soil! We asked the questions 'What is soil?' and 'What is soil made of?' 

To start our investigation, students gathered samples of soil from the garden and then they worked in teams to look at it closely and take it apart. They separated out as many different ingredients as they could see, using tweezers and magnifying lenses and placing their soil findings in egg cartons.

Students looked at soil in a new way, and practiced using tools: shovels, tweezers and magnifying lenses.

Seeds & Seedlings

Over the last couple months, kindergarten students have been saving seeds, planting seeds, caring for seedlings, preparing painted terra cotta pots, and planting seedlings in the garden!

They started last fall by shelling beautiful dried Scarlet Runner Beans that grew in our school garden. Late this winter, they planted the beans in plastic pots in the greenhouse. In February and March, they painted their own terra cotta pots in anticipation of bringing their bean seedlings home. Finally, right before spring break, they got a chance to take a look at their seedlings' roots and carefully transplant them into their own personalized pots. They even planted some of the seedlings in our school garden! We're looking forward to them growing up over the garden tunnel!

Scarlet runner beans -- shelled, then sprouting

Painting terra cotta pots!

Potting the bean seedlings into their hand-painted pots.

Taking their seedlings home!

Planting bean seedlings around one of the garden tunnels! These beans like to climb things -- the tunnel will be perfect!

Taking a look at the bean seedling's roots; planting more seedlings. 

EPACS Seedling Sale

Now's the time to plant your summer garden!! If you live nearby, it's also the time to get organic, heirloom seedlings, lovingly planted and raised by EPACS students, staff & volunteers! Click on the seedling variety to learn more about each type of plant. 

$5 for each 4” pot & 6-pack, $3 for each or 2 for $5 for 3" pots (Morning Glories)

Contact EPACS garden manager, Eron Truran, to order and arrange pick up at EPACS:

Eron.Truran@aspirepublicschools.org

Tomatoes, sold in 4” pots, $5 each

Cherokee Purple

San Marzano

Brandywine

Winter Squash, sold in 4” pots, $5 each

Golden Delicious

Gold Acorn

Butternut

Baby Blue Hubbard

Cucumbers, sold in 4” pots, $5 each

Beit Alpha (a Mediterranean variety)

Herbs, sold in 4” pots, $5 each

Thai Basil

Flowers, sold individually in 3” pots, $3 each or 2 for $5

Morning Glory

Corn, sold in packs of 6, $5 each

Strawberry Popcorn

Fairy Gardens!

Last week kindergarteners and first graders worked together to create magical fairy houses in the garden. Fairy house building has been hands-down the most popular garden activity in my classes. Students use their class time to brainstorm and build a tiny home for fairies or other tiny creatures in the garden. They use their imaginations, team work, engineering skills, & communication skills while collecting natural objects, designing and building these elaborate and beautiful works of architectural marvel. There are always many students who want to work much longer than the 45 minute or hour-long class. They LOVE exploring the garden, finding soft leaves and sparkly rocks, beautiful flowers, spiky twigs and bark. And they have the most elaborate descriptions of arched entry ways, tiny doors, leaf beds, flower walkways, and rock tables. It's a special time in the garden & a wonderful opportunity to look closer, see things with new perspective and to let in more magic!

Winter harvest recipes

We are lucky to have a mild winter here in the Bay Area. With the combination of rainy and sunny days, our winter garden veggies are beautiful! Last week, Garden Club students harvested red cabbage, green onions, green garlic, cilantro, radishes and peas to make a delicious Crunchy Slaw. So many garden treats packed this yummy salad! Get the recipe at the bottom. It's delicious on it's own, in a whole wheat wrap, on tacos, on a sandwich... or? Lots of possibilities!

When Life Gives You Lemons...

When life gives you lemons... make lemonade!

All classes have enjoyed harvesting the bountiful lemons from our citrus orchard -- and squeezing the fragrant juice into pitchers mixed with water and simple syrup to make their own refreshing lemonade drink!