A.M. Winn School Garden
The Planting Year
The beginning of a new school year is always exciting. I always get energized when I see the marvel in the students’ eyes as they are introduced to the garden and everything it has to offer. Before we do any work and contribute to the garden in any way, the new group of students immediately gets to enjoy the benefits of the hard work of those that came before them.
There are kumquats adorning the kumquat tree that catch the eye as you walk into the garden. We start the year with a tasting. The garden gives them a gift and they are instantly under its spell. We have several fruit trees that offer their bounty at different times of the year. See our “What’s in the Garden” page to learn more about what trees are in the garden.
The students then prepare the beds for planting their first crop of annuals. One of our favorite plants is the fava bean. These spunky bean plants are great for teaching many concepts. We sow the seeds in late October to early November. We also plant onions and garlic at this time.
Winter:
In Sacramento we get a lot of rain, so we don’t have to do much watering. But one thing we focus our attention on is mulching the paths. This keeps the weeds down and the paths less soggy and muddy. We get out to the garden as often as possible to record and observe the growth of our plants and look out for wild life that is active at this time of year.
Spring:
This is when things take off in the garden. Everything springs to life. The plants start to bloom. Birds are busy. Beneficial insects as well as pests can be observed. This year we studied and witnessed each stage of the ladybug’s life cycle. We watched as mature ladybugs fought ants for the aphids. We witnessed the colonization of an ant colony in our hexagon raised bed.
We do various activities with the mature fava beans and then prepare a feast.
This year we are installing a drip irrigation system. Students have been learning how to put together all of the parts and are quite proud of the assembly. Drip irrigation helps conserve water and since we are using a timer, the plants will enjoy their daily watering throughout the hot summer. This is a huge step forward for the healthy maintenance of the garden.
Summer:
When it is time to say goodbye to the garden, my students are sad. They have just planted sunflowers and pumpkins that they themselves will not use in the fall. It is their gift to the Third Graders of next year.
Over the summer, there is still a lot of action in the garden. The figs mature and wait to be picked and eaten off the tree. Grape vines that wrap themselves through the fence offer treats to kids wandering through the school grounds. The plums that don’t get eaten by birds are truly delicious.
Sacramento, CA 95827
(916) 228-5880