Good loamy soil just begs to be planted.

Teachers, parents and children all help in the garden.

Many hands make our work easier.

This is the last entry in this blog. It comes just as winter officially draws to a close in a few days. March has been unseasonably warm and the garden committee has worked hard to make everything look tidy and neat. Daffodils abound, and all sorts of things are sprouting. Seeds are about to be planted and another season has opened to all who take the time to look and enjoy our giving garden.

Our Giving Garden Gets New Friends

The Lower School is next door to the Upper School, separated by a large parking lot and playing fields. Recently a ninth grade advisory led by Upper School teacher, Mrs. Edith Keene, came over to our giving garden to help out during a half-day workday.  They are planning a second work visit in November, which makes all of us hope that this is the beginning of a great new friendship. During their initial workday, the ninth graders did a lot of clearing  and cleaning around the compost bin area. 


Thank you to all the students in Mrs. Keene's Advisory:  Elliot, Zain, John-John, Sabrina, Chelsea, Marie, Caroline, Charles, Amanda, Austin Elizabeth, Andres and Dana. A big thank you also to Mrs. Keene! Please come enjoy the garden any time you want.

The Garden Now Returns to School

Some of the "Garden Care Group" taking a break on a hot summer day.

The refreshing and nourishing rain fell this weekend in our school garden. Earlier in the week I popped over to see how things were going, and it was evident that other hands had weeded here and there. The garden looked weary of such extremely high heat day after day, but the cotton plant had shot up so it's taller than me now. The tomatoes and peppers all had unripe babies just beginning to grow. The figs had been harvested (by birds or by people, I don't know). But this last week in the garden was very peaceful.


Soon the children will be back and the garden will be filled with laughter and giggles and wonder.  The garden thrives on that as much as it does on sun and rain.


For now this blog ends...our task of tending the garden over the summer is finished. Thanks to all for helping it grow so well.

Gardeners Gathering ~ Friday, August 5, 8:30 a.m.

Leaves make us feel so cool...

I had the fortune of seeing Beth Crawford and Betsy Foote this morning when I went into school to set up my room. They will both be joining Lyn Streck on Friday, August 5th at around 8:30 a.m. (unless they decide otherwise) to do some garden watering and tidying up. Unfortunately, I can't be there, but I hope some of you can. The really lovely treat of the morning will be when Betsy's sister plays the flute as everyone works in the garden. Sounds idyllic, doesn't it?

I'm not sure who else is working. I know Katherine and I are not, and I believe there is a yes from Debbie Suggs.

A message from Holly Williams ~ we have cotton growing in our garden. Apparently this has been a bad season for cotton, but ours never fails. I think Lyn and Holly plant only enchanted cotton!  More pictures to come.

The beautiful peeling bark of River Birch trees is a year-round treat.

Middle School, Middle School, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Since our own Lower School garden originated long ago on the Academy Road campus, it was really very exciting to learn that science teacher, Mrs. Barb Kanoy had created a Middle School garden this past year. She very kindly shared pictures from the past school year to let us see what they have done so far. Judging by the beautiful orange zinnias with the butterfly (above), it looks as if the garden has become a great success. We offer our congratulations to Mrs. Kanoy and all the students and teachers who helped create this young garden.

An overview of the new MS garden on Academy Road

Students tending the garden

The harvest! Carrots, potatoes and zucchini

Mrs. Kanoy also sent word that there are some new ideas for the coming year:

"After working with super garden enthusiasts across Durham this summer at the Earth Partnership for Schools at the NCBG, I am all fired up to make some additional garden space at the middle school.  Our little rain garden has really come along and my goal now is to make 4-5 additional habitat gardens.  The best news is, our new MS director, Jon Meredith is 100% behind the idea.  All the little gardeners moving up into the MS from the LS will have LOTS to do!   So, keep your fingers crossed that we can work it all out.  The MS campus could use a little TLC!"

Beautiful scarlet radishes

Middle Schoolers enjoying the spring garden

We hope this will be just the first of several interesting habitat gardens. 

Thanks for sharing with us, Mrs. Kanoy! 

What I Did on My Summer Vacation by Katherine Sherrill

The Water Garden (a work in progress)

A visitor to the roses

The Vegetable Garden

Last of the beets

A wall of cucumbers

Pearl cucumbers

I have to fight off the bees

Okra flower 

Lots of tomatoes!

Sungolds

The day's harvest

Ready for a washing!

A small sampling of the rewards

Figs Revisited

In this blog, we've posted two things on the figs in our school garden--both fig plants dedicated to loved ones.  Figs are beautiful plants and the fig is a luscious fresh fruit. For those who only know figs from dried fig sources such as Fig Newtons, you have such a treat in store when you try them fresh.  I have two figs in my home garden--one has never born any figs and the other has some small, unripe figs right now. I can't wait for the harvest to come.

I'm going to share a poem I published five years ago. I hope you enjoy it:

Ripe Figs

Umbrageous coolness overhead,
treasure quietly hidden
among the shadows.


Branches hold small pendulous figs,
some still hard and green,
others ripe, the color of paper bags.


Inside each, a tracery of seeds
lingers in the soft red flesh
eliciting a quiver of unexpected greed

Mary Kendall

©2006 Aroostook Review

August 1--The Dog Days of Summer Are Here

A touch of color in our garden never fails to inspire.

It's August 1st, and truly the summer heat is taking its toll all around. At my house the air conditioning died (on the weekend, of course!). It's made me realize that it is easy to get out of touch with the "real" world out there when we are always cozy in the airconditioning of cars, buildings and homes. Our gardens, however, aren't spared, and they struggle to stay alive during these big heat spells.

My home garden is suffering from the heat. Tomatoes aren't producing because it's way too hot to set flowers. The beans have shut down, too. Oddly enough, weeds seem to be strong and eager to grow!! Plus the mint I've been battling all summer is back!! I think there are lessons to be learned in this, but other than wanting a mint & weed garden, I'm not sure what those lessons might be.

Katherine Sherrill sent me an email this morning saying she had gotten over to our garden on Friday. She watered it and did what she could (that was a brutally hot day, remember?). She sends us all the message that we will need to do some replanting and some tidying up before school starts.

I will try to get over to the garden this week, but Friday is an appointment with the eye doc, so no group gardening for me.  Is anyone else planning on working there? If you can hit reply, maybe some of us can join you.  Hopefully some rain will fall this week.

Thank you, Katherine, for getting out there and keeping things alive!!

100 F in the Shade: Summer Heat and Our Gardens

It's hovering around 100 degrees F today and over the next couple of days. Has anyone managed to work in our garden this past week? I came back from vacation and found my own garden hard hit by the summer heat, and I am thinking I can only tend it very, very early in the morning. We've had some serious heat advisories, so everyone should take care and work very early and stay well hydrated.

And here's a question:  my cucumbers (in home garden) are very very pale green, almost whitish in color. Anyone know the reason for that and how to correct it?

Let's hear what YOU are doing to save your garden from this intense heat.

Oh, and don't forget to put out water for the birds and garden friends.

Cypriot Gardens 2011

Thanks to Mary for allowing me to share the gardens discovered during my recent summer adventures.  See you soon friends.  Keep cool!  Demetra


 Cavo Greko gives a breathtaking view of the sea and bears witness to the island’s arid climate so Cypriot gardens take many forms.

My cousin Costa’s vegetable garden.  After his son Michalis, it’s his pride and joy.  We enjoyed sweet yellow corn, eggplant, squash, tomatoes, peppers (bell and hot) and cucumbers.  A staple on our menu was fresh arugula salad (Roka or Rocket Salad) picked from the garden.  

,

Costa and his bounty!

A prayer garden outside a tiny hilltop chapel dedicated to the Prophet Elias.  These two trees were decorated with flowers, ribbons, bits of clothing offered by the faithful in memory of loved ones. 

Some of the offerings and letters hanging from the tree branches. Loving messages were scribbled in so many languages. 

Yet another variety of garden.  This is a Sculpture Garden constructed by my cousin Phillipos Yiapanis and displays his extraordinary work. 

Phillipos has become a renowned sculptor in the country and philanthropist.  His sculptures can be found all over the island at public squares, memorials, and sports stadiums.