Caroline and I were gardening with 2nd and 3rd classes this month. G.I.Y provided us with ready-to-plant packs with cress, pea and kale. The warm, sunny weather was ideal conditions for planting. At the new outdoor classroom, the children put compost into the provided G.I.Y cartons and choose their vegetable of choice. They pushed down the seeds and watered them.
The teachers have kindly taken all these cartons indoors to allow our seedlings grow at the right temperatures. G.I.Y grow packs had an easy to follow project for the children so they could keep tabs on how fast their seedlings are growing and to put the results in to a graph.
5th and 6th classes helped us paint two pallets which we are going to use as a walled herb garden to display at the outdoor classroom area. Next month, 6th classes are going to plant herbs into pots and wire them to the pallets to start our herb wall. We got stuck into some weeding too as they are popping out from everywhere.
The Garden committee went in at the end of May to do a big clean up. We used bark to cover areas to keep down weeds and of course this works as a good mulcher too. We did some weeding around the growing vegetables which are all blooming at the moment. The lettuce, onions, potatoes are growing really well as are the rhubarb and fruit trees. We look forward to harvesting next month.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Notes from the Garden: April 2016
Junior and Senior Infants planted their lettuce seedlings in the vegetable patch. They had been growing in their classroom over the last few weeks. A big thanks to Mrs. MacDougald for watering them! We are looking forward to harvesting them before Sport’s Day to have with our burgers…
First and Second Classes helped Jane and I to tidy up the fruit cage. They did a fantastic job weeding here around the berry and apple trees which had grown a lot with the warm sunny weather of late. We planted strawberry plants, so hopefully, we will have some tasty berries and apples to enjoy in September. The kids loved helping to construct a net cover for the fruit cage to keep away the birds when they start to fruit. We hammered nails into the frame to hold the net.
First and Second Classes helped Jane and I to tidy up the fruit cage. They did a fantastic job weeding here around the berry and apple trees which had grown a lot with the warm sunny weather of late. We planted strawberry plants, so hopefully, we will have some tasty berries and apples to enjoy in September. The kids loved helping to construct a net cover for the fruit cage to keep away the birds when they start to fruit. We hammered nails into the frame to hold the net.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Notes from the Garden: February/ March 2016
Caroline and Valerie were gardening with 3rd and 4th classes in February. They left the potatoes in the class room for two weeks. Then in March, a few weeks later, they went in to the school to plant the potatoes out in the vegetable patch having sprouted while inside. The 3rd and 4th classes planted some onions and garlic which will hopefully to be harvested in June.
Jane, Vanessa and myself were gardening in March with the infants. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the children were in great form. With their yogurt pots in hand, we half filled them with seedling compost, sprinkled in some lettuce seeds, covered them with compost and watered them. They are lined up in the conservatory in the school to grow into seedlings. Senior infants helped to re-plant our lovely daffodils around the patio area to brighten it up with Easter fun day approaching.
Clare O'Callaghan
Jane, Vanessa and myself were gardening in March with the infants. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the children were in great form. With their yogurt pots in hand, we half filled them with seedling compost, sprinkled in some lettuce seeds, covered them with compost and watered them. They are lined up in the conservatory in the school to grow into seedlings. Senior infants helped to re-plant our lovely daffodils around the patio area to brighten it up with Easter fun day approaching.
Clare O'Callaghan
Friday, January 29, 2016
Garden Notes: November/ December 2015
The kids cut oranges in half, scoped out the inside and filled it with bird feed. Using string, they tied them into hoops to place over the branches of the trees. The friendly robin watched on which the children were delighted about!
Valerie and Caroline made Christmas wreaths with 5th & 6th classes in December to bring home. Valerie & Caroline gathered holly from nearby woods & the cuttings of pine from a Christmas tree. The children enjoyed creating their master pieces over pre-shaped wire and some added decorations to them for some bling!
Happy New Year to all from the Garden Committee and we look forward to more gardening next year…
Clare
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Notes from the Garden: September/ October 2015
The Garden Committee went in at the beginning of September to do a quick tidy up in the vegetable area and fruit tree area. There is still no fruit on the blackberry and raspberry trees as it will take a few years for the young trees to produce. The new apple trees have produced some apples which was nice to see.
Valerie and Caroline were gardening with 3rd and 4th Classes at the beginning of October. These classes are looking after the fruit trees in the garden this year. They pruned the apple trees and fruit trees back in order to allow it grow well in spring. They added manure to the base of the trees to feed them and also protect the roots from frost during the winter. It is the perfect time to put down bulbs and so they planted daffodils near the fruit trees to encourage bees. They also added manure to our fantastic rhubarb crop which does really well every year.
Jane, Vanessa and I gardened with 1st and 2nd classes at the end of October. The theme for these classes is “Insect Life” in the garden and how they help nuture it. We made insect hotels out of pumpkins for a warm place for the small animals to keep warm in the winter. We also planted daffodils for the spring time.
Clare O'Callaghan
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Notes from the Garden: May/June 2015
May
Caitriona and I did some necessary weeding with 3rd and 4th classes. The lettuce needed weeding to allow growth and we cleared out the old bulbs from the winter. The fruit cage was coming back to life so we cleaned up the beds and staked as necessary. The berry shrubs are looking green and lush. The apple trees that we planted last year are flowering and so it is looking very good for us to get a yield of berries and apples this year.
June
Valerie and Caroline did some gardening with Junior and Senior Infants. They, at last, got to harvest some of the vegetables. The children dug up the potatoes with great excitement and glee as well as taking some healthy lettuce home.
They also managed to get the entire Junior and Senior Infants to plant sunflower seeds in a recycled yogurt pot and bring them home to grow in their own garden over the summer. It will be fun to see how everyone gets on and we are hoping to get lots of photos of their tall sunflowers in September.
Have a lovely summer and see you all in the new school year!
Clare O'Callaghan
Caitriona and I did some necessary weeding with 3rd and 4th classes. The lettuce needed weeding to allow growth and we cleared out the old bulbs from the winter. The fruit cage was coming back to life so we cleaned up the beds and staked as necessary. The berry shrubs are looking green and lush. The apple trees that we planted last year are flowering and so it is looking very good for us to get a yield of berries and apples this year.
June
Valerie and Caroline did some gardening with Junior and Senior Infants. They, at last, got to harvest some of the vegetables. The children dug up the potatoes with great excitement and glee as well as taking some healthy lettuce home.
They also managed to get the entire Junior and Senior Infants to plant sunflower seeds in a recycled yogurt pot and bring them home to grow in their own garden over the summer. It will be fun to see how everyone gets on and we are hoping to get lots of photos of their tall sunflowers in September.
Have a lovely summer and see you all in the new school year!
Clare O'Callaghan
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
The fruits of our school garden: Summer 2015
The Garden Committee have been very busy, growing vegetables with the children and teachers over the early spring. Have a look at the fruits of their labour....
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| Apple trees |
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| Happy potato leaves! |
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| Lettuce enjoying the rain |
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| Sprouting Cabbages |