The 3rd and 4th graders are investigating plants that we eat in an environmental science unit called Botany on Your Plate. The young botanists are learning about the structures and processes of plants and discovering new foods as they study edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. Students are learning to dissect fruits and vegetables safely, examine the inside structures, and document their work with detailed botanical drawings. The Botany on Your Plate curriculum also includes a tasting component. Students are not only identifying the different parts of each plant but eating them as well. We had many brave students willing to experience raw and roasted beets, carrots, broccoli and peppers, to name just a few; lending credence to our new lunchroom mantra “eat a rainbow.”

The Ogden House is an 18th century farmhouse owned and operated by the Fairfield Museum and History Center. It has a colonial herb garden on the property that has many of the same herbs grown in the Unquowa garden. In conjunction with their study of colonial history, the 5th graders traveled to the Ogden House to learn about herbs and to help restore the garden. The morning began with a scavenger hunt. Students used photographs and written clues to identify a variety of herbs including Baptisia, comfrey, tansy, golden seal, soapwort, and thyme. They learned that herbs were used in colonial times to enhance the flavor of food and also for medicines, insecticides, and dyes. Cuttings and seed pods were collected along the way and brought back to school for future investigation. The 5th graders spent the remainder of the day cleaning up the herb garden and a terrace of lavender, thyme, roses, and chives. Equipped with pruners, spades, and rakes, students enthusiastically took on the overwhelming task of removing weeds that had overtaken every part of the garden, including the paths. Herbs and flowers were pruned, dead material removed, beds raked, and many trips were made to the compost pile. The amount of work that was accomplished by the 5th graders was impressive. Thank you to 5th grade for cleaning up and bringing order back to the Ogden House herb garden!

Students are enjoying the addition of a Grow Lab in the 3rd and 4th grade wing. Special lighting that closely resembles sunlight enables vegetables, flowers, and herbs to be grown from seeds indoors. The 3rd and 4th graders planted Easter Egg Radishes, Little Finger Carrots, Hakurei Turnips, and Snap Beans the first week of school and have been busy caring for them on a daily basis. They learned that plants grown indoors require an average of 15 hours of light per day and lights need to be within 3 to 6 inches of the plants. Students have been measuring their plants and recording observations in journals and on growth charts. They used magnifying glasses to identify the cotyledons and first true leaves on seedlings and thinned plants to prevent them from  competing for water and nutrients. We hope you will drop by and check out the progress in our indoor garden!

The 6th graders traveled to Sport Hill Farm in September to learn about composting. They traveled through fields of kale, Swiss Chard, turnips, spinach and other seasonal vegetables as they made their way to the back of the property where there were mountains of compost. Patti Popp explained that there were two kinds of compost. One was made from leaves and the other from horse manure. The compost is turned on a regular basis to promote decomposition. Both are used to amend the soil at Sport Hill Farm and promote fertility and protection from diseases. Students also learned about vermicomposting and put together a worm composting bin to bring back to school. Worms eat newspaper, leftover vegetable peelings, and coffee grounds and excrete castings which can be used as a type of compost. Later in the week, 6th graders spent a morning in the Unquowa garden removing compost from the composter and sifting it through a screen for future use in our raised beds. In addition, they assembled a wire bin composter for recycling leaves and weighed materials for compost Bio-Excelerators made out of recycled tennis ball cans.

Students have been busy in the garden this spring. Rocks and weeds were removed from raised beds in April and compost added. 7th graders tested the ph of our soil, and 5th graders started seedlings in trays at Sport Hill Farm. Students learned to identify cool weather vegetables, made eco-friendly pots out of newspaper, and transplanted spinach, rainbow Swiss chard, and 3 varieties of lettuce - all of which have been picked and served at lunch. 2nd graders carefully tended the strawberries, removing the protective netting daily so that flowers could be pollinated.

Come take a walk in our garden. There are raised beds of dwarf gray sugar peas & baby turnips, rainbow Swiss chard & Easter egg radishes, a “salsa” garden, bush beans & nasturtium, lettuce & carrots, strawberries, cucumbers, and a variety of herbs. There are also pots of tomatoes, Yukon gold & red potatoes, and colorful yellow and purple pansies. Cardinal flowers and Grampa Ott’s heirloom morning glories are germinating at the base of the large tepee and the lavender is beginning to bloom. Thank you to all of the students, faculty, and staff for helping make this year’s garden a success.

Mrs. Sullivan’s 8th grade science class tested the pH of the soil in the Unquowa garden in early March. Students collected soil samples from our raised beds and used chemical kits and a meter to determine the pH level of each bed. Soil pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline the soil is. Measurements below 7.0 indicate acidity, and numbers above 7.0 indicate alkalinity. Nutrients in the soil will not dissolve if it is either too acidic or too alkaline. Most garden vegetables grow best when the soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.0. Special thanks to the 8th graders who will be reporting their results to Mrs. Curran to help determine the health of the soil.

The 5th grade students visited Sport Hill Farm in early March to start plants in the greenhouse for the Unquowa garden. Students practiced making eco-friendly pots out of newspaper for seed starting and learned how to fill cell trays with a special germinating mix. After being placed into small groups, they went to work planting romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, beans, and a special variety of corn for popping. Patti Popp has generously offered to care for our plants in her greenhouse until they are ready to be transplanted in the Unquowa garden. Special thanks to Patti and the 5th graders for helping us get a head start in the garden this spring.

Students returned in January to find blankets of snow covering raised beds, serving as an insulator and providing warmth and protection to our garden from the harsh winter temperatures. Earlier in the fall, 2nd graders removed runners from strawberry plants in order to concentrate more energy into the main plant before the onset of cold weather. Sage was harvested from the herb garden in November and 1st graders pulled the leaves from its woody branches in preparation for the Thanksgiving feast. 5th graders cut vines from tepees, removed the last of the summer vegetables for the composter, turned the soil, and added compost to raised beds. A big thank you to all of the students who helped put the Unquowa garden to bed for the winter.

In an effort to conserve water, a rain barrel was installed near the butterfly garden. Rain barrels are a great way to collect and recycle water on rainy days. It is attached to a nearby gutter and has a hose with an on/off valve for easy use by students and teachers for watering nearby beds. One rainy weekend last fall, it filled up with 75 gallons of water! Special thanks to Mr. Doug for installing it.

The PreK 4 children toured the Unquowa garden in early October and discovered giant zucchini blossoms, rainbow colored Swiss Chard, strawberry plants, and arugula.  Students crushed leaves of parsley, oregano, and chocolate mint between their fingers to compare smells, pulled up heirloom French Breakfast radishes, and even picked a giant sunflower for their science center.  Upon returning to the classroom they created lovely arrangements of marigolds, nasturtium, and lavender for the dining room.  The children also sampled radishes and harvested sunflower seeds which they will save and plant next spring.  It was a very busy day in the garden for PreK 4.