Gardening
It is spring!
And time to think about gardening! In a garden kids can see, smell, and touch the natural world. Gardening encourages responsibility, community, cooperation, and inquiry. Find a way to connect your Club with plant growth!
Beginning a Garden
Tools
A list of tools available can be found under the Tool Library label.
Types of Gardens
Native Plant Garden: Provide home for wildlife, insects, and birds, while creating a low-maintenance garden and year-round naturalist lab .
See the King County site for more information: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/stewardship/nw-yard-and-garden/native-plant-resources-nw.aspxspx
Container Garden: Perfect for Clubs with limited/no space. Grow herbs, flowers, even vegetables.
5 Senses garden: Plant to delight the senses. Use different textures, colors, smells, and tastes. Attract birds and listen to their songs.
Rotary, Redmond, Mercer Island, B.F. Day, Northgate, Blackwell Elementary, and Renton Skyway Clubs have gardens growing vegetables, herbs, and native plants.
Create Soil Not Landfill
Start a compost or worm bin. Food scrapes can be used to make compost to grow more food. Cool.
Northgate Club built a worm bin in 2008 with the assistance of a Nature Consortium educator and LEAP!. Bainbridge Club just finished a worm bin during their Spring 09 LEAP! program.
Find information at http://www.seattle.gov/util/services/yard/composting/SPU01_001996.aspyard/composting/SPU01_001996.asp
and at http://www.seattletilth.org/learn/resources-1/compost1/compost
Store Your Rain
Build a rain-barrel to harvest the rain.
B.F. Day and Redmond Clubs made theirs during LEAP! programing.
Find information at www.Seattle.gov/UTIL/Services/Yard/Natural_Lawn_&_Garden_Care/Rain_Water_Harvesting/index.asp
Garden Activities
Start with the Soil
What is soil made of? Who lives in soil? What type of soil do plants grow in? Take kids outside to collect soil samples from different locations. Back at the Club study the soil with magnifying lenses and microscopes, or just sharp eyes. What are the differences in texture, composition, and color? If the soil was made into mud pies, what wou ld be the list of ingredients? Kids can use a little water and the dirt to finger paint on paper. Make smudge animals, people, trees. Add pen lines for detail.
Build a Bean-Pole House
Bean-Pole houses can be made by lashing together three or four poles at the top in a triangle and settling the ends into the ground. Plant beans at the base of the poles so they can climb up, leaf-out, and create a shady structure.
Watching Roots
Discuss how plants grow and what they need to live. Kids can watch roots by planting seeds close to the edge of a plastic cup or glass jar. Look closely at a small plant or flower. How many different parts can be identified? What do these parts do? Kids can pre ss the plant or glue and tape it to a paper, labeling form and function.
For more information and activity ideas see: www.picadome.fcps.net/lab/currl/plants/default.htm and http://http//urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts2a.html
It is spring!
And time to think about gardening! In a garden kids can see, smell, and touch the natural world. Gardening encourages responsibility, community, cooperation, and inquiry. Find a way to connect your Club with plant growth!
Beginning a Garden
- Assess your resources; size, shade/sun, time, interests. Pick plants that are appropriate for your resources. Plant according to the recommended times. Maybe start some seeds indoors. Do some research and ask questions.
- Garden information specific to the Pacific Northwest can be found in print: The Maritime Northwest Garden Guide and online: www.seattlepi.com/nwgardens/. For questions or general help call Seattle Tilth's Garden Hotline: (206) 633-0224
- If you already have a garden, till the old plants into the soil, add some compost, plant some starts or some seeds.
Tools
A list of tools available can be found under the Tool Library label.
Types of Gardens
Native Plant Garden: Provide home for wildlife, insects, and birds, while creating a low-maintenance garden and year-round naturalist lab .
See the King County site for more information: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/stewardship/nw-yard-and-garden/native-plant-resources-nw.aspxspx
Container Garden: Perfect for Clubs with limited/no space. Grow herbs, flowers, even vegetables.
5 Senses garden: Plant to delight the senses. Use different textures, colors, smells, and tastes. Attract birds and listen to their songs.
Rotary, Redmond, Mercer Island, B.F. Day, Northgate, Blackwell Elementary, and Renton Skyway Clubs have gardens growing vegetables, herbs, and native plants.
Create Soil Not Landfill
Start a compost or worm bin. Food scrapes can be used to make compost to grow more food. Cool.
Northgate Club built a worm bin in 2008 with the assistance of a Nature Consortium educator and LEAP!. Bainbridge Club just finished a worm bin during their Spring 09 LEAP! program.
Find information at http://www.seattle.gov/util/services/yard/composting/SPU01_001996.aspyard/composting/SPU01_001996.asp
and at http://www.seattletilth.org/learn/resources-1/compost1/compost
Store Your Rain
Build a rain-barrel to harvest the rain.
B.F. Day and Redmond Clubs made theirs during LEAP! programing.
Find information at www.Seattle.gov/UTIL/Services/Yard/Natural_Lawn_&_Garden_Care/Rain_Water_Harvesting/index.asp
Garden Activities
Start with the Soil
What is soil made of? Who lives in soil? What type of soil do plants grow in? Take kids outside to collect soil samples from different locations. Back at the Club study the soil with magnifying lenses and microscopes, or just sharp eyes. What are the differences in texture, composition, and color? If the soil was made into mud pies, what wou ld be the list of ingredients? Kids can use a little water and the dirt to finger paint on paper. Make smudge animals, people, trees. Add pen lines for detail.
Build a Bean-Pole House
Bean-Pole houses can be made by lashing together three or four poles at the top in a triangle and settling the ends into the ground. Plant beans at the base of the poles so they can climb up, leaf-out, and create a shady structure.
Watching Roots
Discuss how plants grow and what they need to live. Kids can watch roots by planting seeds close to the edge of a plastic cup or glass jar. Look closely at a small plant or flower. How many different parts can be identified? What do these parts do? Kids can pre ss the plant or glue and tape it to a paper, labeling form and function.
For more information and activity ideas see: www.picadome.fcps.net/lab/currl/plants/default.htm and http://http//urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts2a.html
Plant Growth Time Lapse Video
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