May 2016 - Seed St. Louis

Abundance

Posted on May 31, 2016 by sara

At Clay Elementary, the mulberries are falling from the trees like a black and blue rain and the elderflowers are blooming. We harvested cabbage and lettuce on the last day of school, and the very first raspberry was bright red against the leaves. Somehow we ended up with a whole bed of rutabagas, all the size of baseballs and only getting bigger. The preschool class made a big batch of strawberry rhubarb jam from the garden. 5 perfect strawberries lingered under the leaves after all the classes had gone inside. And there was still more to be picked, everywhere we looked– mountains of sage, mint, and kale, gobbling up sunlight and reaching out for more.

So often we feel that resources- money, time, patience- are scarce, and that feeling of scarcity can take a heavy emotional toll. Growing food can replenish our feelings of abundance. Plant one tomato seed, and at the end of the year, you’ll end up with not only tomatoes, but thousands more tomato seeds. Plant asparagus or apple trees one time, and for the next 50 years, it will feed you like clockwork. Chickens lay eggs almost every day. Everything in the garden grows, from a child’s perspective, as if by magic. Suddenly one day, from a seed and then a stem and then a leafy mass, there are peas. As they begin to understand some of the natural systems behind the magic– photosynthesis, the water cycle, the soil food web– kids realize that the earth has given us the tools we need to take care of ourselves, if we are willing.

School gardens are surging in popularity, and many researchers are trying to pinpoint what exactly it is about growing food that seems to benefit children so much. I think we know the answer. A full bed of ripe strawberries challenges the narrative of scarcity, anxiety, and helplessness, and replaces it with other things- joy, gratitude, and hope.

-Youth Educator Carolyn Cosgrove Payne

Field Trip Season is in Full Swing!

Posted on May 26, 2016 by sara

Did you know that Gateway Greening offers field trips to the Demonstration Garden and Gateway Greening Urban Farm?

Clay Elementary’s second-grade class did! They recently spent a morning at the Bell Demonstration & Community Garden with Gateway Greening educators Carolyn and Kathleen, exploring the colors, sounds, textures, and even tastes of the plants growing there. The field trip began with a scavenger hunt, with kids and chaperones scattering to the far corners of the extensive garden space to hunt for colors, shapes, and organisms. Without realizing it, the students were practicing simple math and descriptive language as part of the fun!

Once the kids had burned off a bit of energy (and explored every inch of the garden thoroughly) they were invited to meet the long-time residents of the PURINA community coop – Fat George and the rest of her flock! These chickens are always a favorite with the kids, coming close to the coop’s screens to be fed and admired by all while the educators spoke a bit about how to care for and raise chickens. Biology is always more interesting when the subject of the lesson squawks back!

One of the best things about taking kids outside and into the garden for lessons is how eager they are to try and do absolutely everything – even spread mulch. Students learned all about working together to accomplish tasks as they shoveled, carted, and spread mulch in one of Bell Garden’s many native plant beds. (It also proved to be a handy way to start a conversation about building healthy soil!)

But without a doubt, the best part of the field trip was making ‘herbal’ lemonade from scratch, using fresh lemons, sugar, water, and fresh-picked herbs straight from the surrounding garden. Not only was it tasty to drink, but the kids had a blast asking questions and picking herbs to flavor their lemonade!

Does anyone else find themselves wishing they could go back to being a kid for a day? I know I sure did – it all looked like fun!

-Gateway Greening AmeriCorps VISTA Erin Wood

Place to Sit

Posted on May 24, 2016 by sara

Often we recieve donations for such benches that are odd and we find ways to make them work.

What are school gardens without a place to sit? As a school garden educator, seating is the first thing I tackle when I go into a new school garden setting. I have quickly learned that gardens that do not accommodate seating for the whole class run poorly. When classes come out to the garden they need the same kind of structure and routine as they do when they are indoors. Having a place to sit and center before starting garden related activities is an essential step to having a successful outdoor experience.

Here one school parent is helping with this seemingly complicated installation process.

Yup, it works.

Seat is good to go.

There are many options when it comes to outdoors seating as you see below. My favorite type by far is the one we make ourselves using stumps from forestry department. I like that it is easy and free to create but I mostly love it because it allows each student to have his or her stump. Crowding on a limited seating outdoors is often a problem and inadvertently leads students squabbling over something.

Our outdoor classroom at Shaw VPA from earlier this spring.

We do not have a hammock at any of the school gardens that I work at but I have always contemplated it. Why stop at seating when you can be swinging?

Picture from earlier this spring when we didn’t have much to garden we did lot of garden art. I love stumps but various seating options are important for this reason.

Favorites

A very quiet classroom on a Saturday afternoon.

Even little robin likes this one.

My favorite configuration for seating as it accomodates for large and small groups.

Someone placed this bench under the oak a few years ago at Bell and it’s been there since. These kids think it’s there to help them climb their beloved tree. They mostly use it as a ladder or a stage.

This infant comes with his mom at Mallinckrodt school garden and brings his own seating. His mom weeds and plants while he sits and waves at everyone!

Shaw VPA got new picnic benches as part of their garden awards from Gateway Greening this spring. They have been well worn already for all the use they have seen already.

…and sometimes it looks like lady bugs. Art teacher at Shaw has done a fabulous job with embracing the garden and incorporating it into her art curriculum.

Art class outdoors looks like this.

This beautiful artwork lives in the garden at Shaw VPA.

Sometimes teachers just use what they have. Ms. Davie holding together her group of girls as they sat on the ground to finish their pre-test.

These tables are so cute and they work well for small group activities.

Tiny table for 4 doubles its capacity but this accommodation does not come without squabbles of who they can or can not sit next to.

Student found writing under the grape arbor.

One way to use stepping stones.

Place to sit

These students won ice-cream with the school’s principal. Having variety of seating options makes garden inviting to larger groups of users.

At Shaw VPA teachers ask cafetaria staff to brown bag students’ lunches so they can sit in the garden to eat. Did you know you can request this option for your students?

A new arrangment with some extra stumps.

Found at Cote Brilliant Community Garden and it is this seat that has inspired me to write this blog post. I love Cote and keep it close to my heart for this reason.

The view you will have when you are sitting on this garden throne.

Summer is the time when educators have time to take a deep breath and evaluate what worked and how we can do things differently next year. This summer put outdoor classroom on your radar when doing such an evaluation. Be sure to ask yourself if your outdoor space has the kind of seating that will make you successful in your endeavor.

-Punita Patel, Youth Educator

SLCL Installs Third Community Garden at the Grant’s View Branch

Posted on May 19, 2016 by sara

SLCL Installs Third Community Garden at the Grant’s View Branch

St. Louis County Library and Gateway Greening are pleased to announce the installation of the newest library garden on Saturday, May 14 at 8:30 a.m. at the Grant’s View Branch. This is the third community garden for the Library District–the Cliff Cave and Prairie Commons Branches also have gardens, but are both currently closed for construction. The Grant’s View Branch is located in South St. Louis County at 9700 Musick Road, directly across from Grant’s Farm.

Garden volunteers will gather at the Grant’s View Branch on Saturday, May 14 at 8:30 a.m. to construct 24 4’x12′ raised beds and four easily accessible raised beds for individuals with disability issues. The garden area is already equipped with a waterline and a sidewalk; a tool shed will be added at a later date. Aetna is the corporate sponsor of the Grant’s View community garden.

SLCL’s community garden program has been extremely popular. All 28 garden beds at the Grant’s View location have been reserved for the 2016 growing season, and a waiting list has begun for next year.

Similar to the library’s other community gardens, the Grant’s View garden will offer programming and educational opportunities. Plans for an adjacent children’s garden are still in progress.

SLCL’s partnership with Gateway Greening began in 2012, creating the first library community garden at the Prairie Commons Branch. The program was so successful, that a second garden was installed at the Cliff Cave Branch in 2013–with garden expansions taking place at both locations. The Grant’s View Community Garden is the third collaboration between Gateway Greening and SLCL. The project will be the largest garden installation ever undertaken by Gateway Greening.

For more information about the Grant’s View Community Garden, please contact Jennifer McBride at 314-994-3300 ext. 2250.

Photos are courtesy of St. Louis County Library.

What a Couple of Weeks Looks Like at GG’s School Gardens

Posted on May 10, 2016 by sara

The last few weeks of school are always full of a flurry of activities. School gardens are not an exception; we feel the squeeze as the students start to count down the days. There are so many i’s to dot and peas to pick and so little time to get in the summer vegetables and plant the sweet potatoes slips.

Are you feeling the same squeeze? Are you scratching your head trying to figure out how to fit it all in?

The answer may be different for everyone but for us at Mallinckrodt Academy, Shaw VPA, Gateway Elementary and Clay is that we make time for outdoor education and we stick with it against all odds, sort of how you would to lunch periods.

I wanted to share our week in the nutshell using pictures to convey all the ways we have used our school garden this past week or two.

It will be all over before you know it but while you are at it don’t forget to enter the Sweet Potato Competition and pick up your sweet potato slips. It makes for a great finale.

A little note from students found on the garden’s chalkboard.

Gateway Greening Board members came and worked alongside of Mallinckrodt students and parents one fine April Saturday morning. Here they are preping student made pavers.

Pulling out raddishes to add to the salad we made for the Saturday workday with GGI board.

GGI’s executive director was at Mallinckrodt work day with his whole family. Here they are sharing with the group the highlights of their experience on this workday.

GGI staff and board members, Mallinckrodt parents, and students sitting down at the school’s outdoor classroom at the end of the work day to share a salad made using ingredients from the garden.

Fifth grader at Mallinckrodt Academy preparing salad with the help from Amanda Doyle, a parent of a 2nd grader at Mallinckrodt.

This is the aftermath of the Earth Day. Thank you Earth Day for helping Gateway Greening squirrel away all the strawbales for the season. Thank you Laura Allers-Lowry.

We now have a plenty of straw to keep those potatoes hilled and keep all those weeds at bay.

A student had made a nest during art class that she wanted to bring outside so the birds can use the yard from to create a real nest. Garden fever comes in many shapes and colors.

2nd Graders at Mallinckrodt hatched out some chickens and 3rd graders raised them. A few students created a chicken hotel out of boxes for them to live in. Here a student is creating a little library.

Chicken hotel with different rooms and doors cut out in the boxes.

Students came out to the garden to learn how to make a salad using the lettuce from their garden. Thank you Diana Finlay for the lesson on the easy dressing recipe.

Fourth graders are reading Seedfolks and creating their own seedfolk bed. So far we they have planted beans and here they were planting Goldenrod.

Giving up recess to work with Ms. Punita. I often hear students say, ”This is more fun than recess. All we ever do during recess is play four square.”

We do not have a yard waste dumpster so using all these sticks we attempted a hugelkultur bed.

More of the chicken hotel.

This by far is the coolest chicken hotel in Saint Louis, I hope these chickens know that.

Not too long ago my co-worker taught me about this beautiful native black locust. They were in bloom in our region last week. Here students at Shaw VPA are getting to know about black locust.

Learning with Mrs. Diana. Here they were tasting Kohlrabi.

Weeding and chatting at Shaw VPA.

Seeds we had collected during our seeds class in fall are being used this spring for soap making. Be sure to check out our YouTube channel to see our video on how to make soap in the garden.

Watching the soap melt.

Students at Mallinckrodt leading a tour of their garden for our Garden programs biggest supporter. Here they are showing off the bug hotel.

Shaw VPA students also got to show off all their hard work in the garden.

Routinely we uproot mint and put it outside for parents to pick up after school.

All planned activities come to an halt when this guests visit or are discovered by students. And when these guests are discovered by students in our garden they stop all planned activities and focus on them.

What a beautiful creature.

Endless joy of tumbling a composter.

Hard at work!

Mint anybody?

Serious weeding at Gateway Elementary. This all girls class just got done with MAP testing and we heard weeding is quite an antidote to test related stress.

Planting ninebark they secured from Gateway Greening’s Great Perennial Divide. Thank you Hannah for all the effort you put in to GPD to beautify our city.

Go Gateway! The all girls class and their teacher cleaned up a patch of weeds quite nicely to plant some plants they got from Gateway Greening’s Great Perennial Divide.