BRRRRRR! Still Growing

Saturday, November 28; 11am

The snow is falling and I still have a bag of winter rye to plant. Please join us Saturday, November 28th at 11am to plant the rest of the winter rye. Bring shovels, or better yet, a roto-tiller. The weather forecast looks beautiful. Have a great weekend; hope to see you in the garden.

Fall Radishes

The fall veggies planted in the garden love this weather. Radishes, kohlrabi, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and two surviving plants of kale! Peas were also planted and will be dug under to add nitrogen to the soil. We will meet again on Wednesday at 1pm to rake leaves for the leaf compost and plant winter rye. It is time to add organic matter to the soil.

Beautiful Day

The sun was shining; a warm breeze rustled the leaves...garlic and strawberries are planted for next season. Leaves have been raked and moved into one of the greenhouses to start a leaf compost for the winter. We would still like to plant some winter rye, carrots and cone flowers. With weather permitting, we will meet again next Tuesday at 4:30pm. Has anyone seen our sign? It has disappeared.

Sunshine?

Looks like the weather will be clearing up this week. The sunshine has given us time to prepare the garden for the next season. Please join us in the garden this Tuesday at 4:30pm. Bring rakes,shovels and clippers with you. Tons of leaves are falling that can be used to create a beautiful leaf mulch. I also have strawberries and garlic to plant. The garden could use a winter cover crop..if anyone has seeds for green manure, we can take this time to plant them. Enjoy!

Beautiful Herbs

The herbs in the garden are beautiful. They are great plants to have in a community garden; perennials, sun loving, heat resistant, with good ground cover(straw, compost, leaves, etc) regular water is not necessary. The cool wet summer has really boosted the herbs in our garden. We have had a great season for basil, rosemary, lavender, spearmint, chocolate mint, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and flat leaf parsley. In the next couple of weeks the perennial herbs will be split and annuals potted. We would love to keep pots of herbs in the greenhouses over the winter. Can't wait to plant the herbs and perennial plants in the new garden at Indianola Informal School at Crestview. Our garden will then grow from one to two locations!

School Starts August 26th!

Columbus Public Schools start for the fall on August 26th. The students at Indianola Informal School K-8 will be starting school in a new location at the Crestview building on Weber Rd. A new chance for a new gardens. The garden at Everett will be kept up throughout the fall and hopefully into the winter. Another student body is not scheduled to use the building until 2012 and until then we have permission to continue to garden on the front lawn. The possibilities are endless for education and experimentation.

We continue to garden at Everett on Monday evenings at 7pm. Currently fall and winter veggies are being planted, summer tomatoes harvested and the greenhouses are being secured for the winter with the goal to plant lettuce and some cool weather crops. Students from Indianola will have the chance to field trip to Everett to work in that garden.

At Crestview, we have the opportunity to assist the students in planning the gardens for the spring. This will include measuring the sun, water and soil conditions; creating actual garden designs choosing plants accordingly. This will enable a program to become teacher/student initiated and support what is being taught in the classroom.

For more information or you would like to get involved email us at evtgarden@yahoo.com.

Meet us in the Garden

Come work in the garden on Monday, July 19th at 7pm. Monday night plants will be moved, new compost piles built and tomatoes re staked. Please bring shovels, twine and gloves. The plants look beautiful and the rain has kept them well watered.

On August 8th our garden will be on the Gears and Garden tour for the American Community Garden Conference. It is really an exciting opportunity to share the joy of the garden.

Last Monday, compost was placed over the existing beds at the garden and on the three new beds that were plowed a couple of weeks ago. The new beds will be shaped on Tuesday and then fall veggies will be planted for the students.

Thanks for all the good work!

Garden meeting, July 6th.

Just a reminder that we will meet on Monday evening at 7pm in the garden. With the rain, the beds look great and veggies are growing. This week will consist of lawn clean up, trimming and weeding. Please bring tools to trim the Rose of Sharon, weed around the greenhouses and shovels.

A free donation of compost has become available! It can be picked up on Mondays. We are just in need of a truck and a few volunteers to pick up the compost. Please email the garden at evtgarden@yahoo.com if you would like to help. The goal is to pick it up on Monday, July 13th and unload it that day/night in the garden.

Thanks to our farmers, the three beds have been tilled in the front lawn of Everett. The next step is to add compost, then shape the beds, and fill with fall veggies. These vegetables will be grown with the specific intention to serve to the students at Indianola Alternative School.

June 15th

All of the plants look beautiful and the straw is keeping the weeds at bay. The soil quality is reflected in the plant growth. The sections of the garden beds where green manure was planted over the winter has really beautiful soil; other parts of the garden beds, not so much! The front lawn was tilled then fertilizer was added to prepare the soil for raised beds.

Monday, June 22nd at 5pm compost will be added to the tilled soil. Later that evening the beds will be shaped and ready for veggies! What an amazing process. Needless to say, volunteers are needed to help spread compost. Bring shovels, wheel barrels, and gloves. These beds will be producing a lot of veggies that can be passed on to students in the fall. Students from Indianola Informal School will also have the opportunity to visit the garden and pick their own snacks.

Good Work!

Watered today

I watered a bit this morning before the short rain. The plants around the lawn were really dry but the straw seems to help. When we only receive a small amount of rain the plants on the west side of the lawn under the trees are well protected and do not receive any water. They were thirsty.

June 8th gardening

Nine volunteers met at Everett to work in the garden. It was a beautiful evening and very productive. The rest of the plants from the greenhouses were planted into the existing beds, straw was put under plants for mulch and water retention, all of the tomato plants now have cages.

Next week the raised bed will be plowed into the front lawn right by the greenhouses. These beds will be planted with additional veggies and some summer rye. It is our hope to grow enough food to supply the students with some snacks in the fall.

When working in the garden please bring gloves. The poison ivy has spread and really likes the soil in the garden.

A water schedule was created last night and will be updated on a weekly basis during our Monday evening events. Volunteers will post when they have watered to the blog.

The garden was a beautiful place for babies this week. Three baby bunnies were born behind the sage bushes and two baby cardinals were out on their first walk through the flowers. A few ducks have also decided to use the front lawn as an early morning gathering place.

June 1st

We had a beautiful evening in the garden. Seven volunteers planted most of the veggies in the garden. The plants were grown from seed in the greenhouses(planted by students) along with some plants donated by Wayward Seed Farm.

Next Monday there are sunflowers, sage, marigolds, along with other herbs to be planted. Straw will be used as mulch to keep the soil moist and encourage the worms to start their job of composting.

Hot Weather Veggies

The verdict is in; this summer we will focus on three main veggie types for the garden. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants will be planted on the south side of the Everett School. These beds get hot, hot, hot and these plants love heat. Basil will be companion planted along with the veggies. The garden currently has eight different types of herbs and some beautiful perennials.

There are also two different types of sunflowers ready to be planted along with marigolds.

We will plant these on June 1st at 7pm. Bring your shovel and join the fun!

Thank you to students at Indianola Informal School who constructed the greenhouses and started the seeds. The Community Garden Club at Everett School has also received donations from Wayward Seed farm (thanks for the greenhouses,) and parents and community members in Columbus! Here's to a great growing season.

This and that

This past month has flown by and not much has been published...we have all been in the garden watching the herbs grow, waiting for the soil to warm up and playing games of spud, tag and jackpot. The students have taken advantage of every moment it is not raining.

The camp fire group Beyond the Flowers has adopted a portion of the garden to add more herbs. They are meeting every Monday at 4pm to garden; volunteers are welcome - the more people, the more fun!

In the green houses we have tomatoes, sunflowers, peppers, leeks, basil, broccoli, marigolds, carrots, chard, lettuce and more. The k/1 classes seeded the flats and have been keeping all of the seeds happy. Volunteers have kept all of the plants well watered.

Right now Columbus Public Schools have given us the OK to garden at Everett through the summer. In August the students from Indianola Informal School will be moved to Crestview School on Webber Rd. Everett Community Garden Club will meet throughout the summer on Monday evenings at 7pm beginning June 1st.

All things planted

April 24, 2009
Started seeds for: marigolds, sunflowers, cherry tomatoes

The front bed was planted with Rudbeckia hirta (Asteraceae)or Black Eyed Susans and Chamomile.

Containers were planted with pole beans.

Volunteers are still needed to water seeds. Please email evtgarden@yahoo.com if you are interested in volunteering.

Gardening; 2:30pm April 25th with kids

Volunteers are working with students Friday, April 25th @ 2:30pm in the garden. If you have the afternoon free please join us. Fourth and Fifth grade students will be planting seeds and preparing containers for container gardening. Enjoy the sunshine!

The Weather Was Fine

Thursday was a beautiful morning in the garden. We were able to container plant carrots, move some Black Eyed Susan, mulch around the herbs and spray paint buckets. Things left to be done: water the basil seeds, plant more flats in the green houses (there are empty flats in the greenhouse,) water the containers, and plant the other buckets with veggies (root vegetables can be planted until April 24th.) There may be an opportunity to plant four raised beds with vegetables in the front lawn. The other beds next to the building can be planted with herbs.

Please feel free to garden when your time allows. If you decide to plant the containers or seed flats, please bring potting soil. Please label all of the things that are planted. The garden has a ton of seeds; just send an email to evtgarden@yahoo.com and I will make sure you get the seeds.

Enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

Meet us in the Garden, Thursday, April 16th around 10:30am.

Join us Thursday, April 16th to plant seeds, containers, and some general garden maintenance. Please remember to bring garden tools with you since there are not any kept at the garden. Potting soil is needed to plant the containers if you have extra soil please bring it with you!

Plants, Plants, Everywhere!

Many ambitious gardeners have started seeds and now have tons of plants growing under grow lights. If you find yourself in this situation and are thinking about composting those extra plants, keep the Garden Club in mind. We will take those plants off your hands, plant them at Everett or put them into containers to be moved to the Crestview site. Just email us at evtgarden@yahoo.com if you would like to make a donation.

No Manure!

Today's rain has made it too wet for manure shoveling tomorrow morning. The fields are too wet to drive through. Tomorrow's forecast looks beautiful and will lend itself to some simple garden maintenance. For anyone who would like to play in the dirt come at 11am. Bring shovels, clippers, rakes, buckets, to clip and move perennials, and yard waste.

Feed the Soil - April 4th @ 11am

"The future rests on the soil beneath our feet"
-Charles C. Mann, National Geographic, September 2008

Join us on April 4th at 11 a.m. to add horse manure to the garden beds at Everett School. This is a great opportunity to have a positive impact on the soil here for years to come. Please bring shovels, gloves and be prepared to work. Invite your family and friends! The manure is at a horse farm close to the school. We will travel to the farm, load the manure into a compost spreader, then unload it at the school.

In case the weather is bad please check the blog before heading out to make sure the date has not been changed.

February Meeting Notes

Community Garden at Everett School
Garden Planning Meeting
February 11, 2009


Attendees: Cindy – parent and garden organizer
Josh – parent
Jessica – parent
Jaime – farmer


1. Teacher survey

The first survey went out to the teachers and staff. Based on response from the first survey, we will do a second survey.

2. Blog

The blog is up and running, titled “Growing Together”, at growinglearning.blogspot.com. Cindy will post meeting notes, schedules, needs and a general what’s happening of the school garden. Information about the blog was also printed in the Parent Consultant news.

3. Volunteers

We discussed the need to get committed volunteers and decided to start with the parents who were already active and participating in the garden.

4. Curriculum

Expanding on the previous meeting in terms of what student in which grades could do what, it’s suggested that the younger students, kindergarten through second grade might be perfect for starting seeds. Third through fifth grade students can test the soil to determine its needs. The older kids will be needed to help construct the greenhouses in March.

5. Seeds

Jaime brought seeds for some of the students to get started on including Garlic Chives, Sage, Fennel, Flat Leaf Parsley, Large Leaf Basil and Nelson’s Golden Giant Tomato. She also brought cell flats and fluorescent lighting.

6. Seed balls

We are going to work with second grade students to create seed balls to sell at the MASQUE event in a few weeks. We will be working with Michelle’s students on a date and time to be confirmed by Jessica. The proceeds will be donated to the PTO. The attendees will donate the supplies and materials needed to make the seed balls.

7. Compost

There is a farm near the quarry that is donating as much compost to the school as it can use. Volunteers will need to load and unload it, but it will be free to the school. Pending the weather, we are planning to move the compost in April. We will need lots of volunteers to help shovel the compost.

8. Scheduling

Seed Balls – February 25th
Greenhouse Installation – Tuesday, March 10th
Compost – Saturday, April 4th

The process has begun..building the greenhouses

Greenhouses at Everett School

On Tuesday, March 10th @ 11am 7 volunteers and a classroom of 8th graders raised the greenhouses on the front lawn at Everett School. Adam and Jaime, farmers who operate Way Ward Seed Farm, generously donated the greenhouses for educational purposes. They look beautiful. If you have a chance stop and check them out!

Next week one greenhouse will be planted with a spring crop and the other to use for seeds and containers. This gives us an opportunity to demonstrate how to extend our growing season in Central Ohio. The seed planting date will soon be posted so keep your eyes open!

Building Greenhouses

Next Tuesday, March 10th is the date set to build the greenhouses on the front lawn at Everett. I would like to invite everyone to join us. Construction will begin around 11:15am, as soon as the 8th graders are finished with their algebra class. Items to bring are: -Hammers -Standard and Phillips Screwdrivers -Clear Zip Ties. Please email us at evtgarden@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Seed Balls

On, Thursday, February 26th, a group of volunteers worked with the first and second graders to make seed balls. This project is based on the seed ball practices of Japanese farmer, Masanbobu Fukuoka. Each ball contained compost, soil, and seeds. Once the weather warms up students and parents can toss them to see what happens.

The seed balls were later sold at Masque on Friday night to raise funds for math books at Indianola.

Seed grow room

We have a room to grow seeds. Based on teacher feed back most of the staff would like to have the seeds in a central location. We can set up shop in Room 213. More info to come!

January notes

Garden Planning Meeting
January 29, 2009

Attendees: Cindy – parent and garden organizer
Rachel - teacher
Heather - teacher
Josh – parent
Jessica – parent
James – community member
Johanna – OSU student and volunteer
Rhonda – teacher
Liz – teacher
April – librarian
Melissa – teacher
Laura - parent
Jaime – farmer
Adam – farmer


1. Curriculum

We discussed the idea of integrating each level from kindergarten to middle school in the garden process, each grade level managing a task relative to its ability. Two examples include the kindergarten, first and second grade classes starting seeds and the middle school classes participating in compost and soil maintenance.

It was suggested that the garden work not only for food production and systems, but education about soil and native plants. Since we do not know the intent of the teachers or their ideas, Jessica suggested and offered to create a questionnaire that will be distributed to them. The teachers will fill it out and bring it to the staff meeting in a Tuesday meeting, date to be determined.

Cindy obtained a “Getting Started” workbook from California and suggested an adoption program. Each teacher and class would “adopt” a raised bed and create a program suited to their needs or desires. The raised bed would be their project to do with what they wanted. Some classes might want a butterfly garden while others wanted to transplant seeds. By adopting a raised bed, the classroom, led by the teacher and his/her curriculum could act accordingly.


2. Application

In deciding how to apply the curriculum and put the garden into action, we discussed individual classroom vs. general work area. While the individual classrooms would be more connected to the project, the project may suffer based on proximity to the students. An example was students pouring soda on the plants, skewing the results of the project. The general work area would give all classrooms the same experience and the ability to participate as often or as little as they choose. The group visited a small area with lots of windows that may be a possible work site.

As we started to discuss the classroom option, we reviewed the space restraints that many teachers might have. Space and equipment were the two main concerns. Josh suggested a very small and affordable system for seed starting. Heather quickly drew a design for a wood cart to house the seeds.


3. Spring garden

There are three goals with the spring garden:
1. Fall crops that will stay at the school for the incoming student body.
2. Container crops that can be planted in very large pots and moved to Crestview.
3. Spring crops that can be planted and harvested by the end of the school year.
Since the garden requires very few seeds, Adam stated that he has many that he will donate along with the flats to start them in. With the supplies, he will provide a planting schedule.

Adam and Jaime are donating greenhouses and the plan is to put them up at Everett and take them down when it’s time for the move to Crestview. Assuming the temperature permits, Adam suggested setting the greenhouses up at the beginning of March.

In the spirit of planning, we discussed the future at Crestview. At this point in time, no plans should be made for Crestview. It is likely that Crestview will be under construction until school starts in August.


4. Communication and organization

We discussed a wish list of items needed by the garden. Because of the 501C status of the program, the garden group can not accept money, but can accept materials and tools. In deciding how to communicate the list of needs and wishes, we talked about creating a blog. As of today, January 23rd, the blog has been created. We all agreed that there are lots of parents, grandparents, teachers, staff and community people interested and willing to help.

It was also suggested that we keep students, parents, teachers and the like involved. When one person leads and controls, it ends poorly. We want to commit as a community of people working together and sharing ideas.

Here we go! Welcome to the blog of the Indianola Community Garden at Everett School. Our first planning meeting was held 1/22/09. One of the goals is to better communicate with the community...so this blog was created. Mark your calendars now for the next planning meeting. February 11th at 7pm. The location is still to be determined.