The Adventures of Soil and Horse Manure

Today was a beautiful and ultra-productive day! There was a breeze and a slight coolness in the air. Thanks to the efforts of Amy and Alex, both of whom started their volunteer shifts an hour early today, The Edible Schoolyard now has a truck load of excellent horse manure. Despite the stench of it all, our crew managed to shovel the manure in a large pile next to the fence and the pineapples towards the back of the garden. Now it is ready to mixed with soil to be placed in the recently dug trench that surrounds the garden. All in all, this is one of the more exciting developments that has taken place this week!

In addition to the acquisition of good horse manure, Amy managed to contact Lowe's and asked for donations of soil. Being the good organization they are, Lowe's decided to donate 15 bags of soil to our cause. So, a special thanks to Lowe's for giving to a really good cause! After we were given the go, a couple of us drove to Lowe's in the good old Eckerd College recycling truck. As I expected, the truck was creaking and rattling the entire time we were on the highway. But, we made it safely there to pick up the soil for the garden. It was incredibly heavy because it was saturated with water. So, a couple of bags have slight tears in them, but no soil was lost. Actually, we managed to get a high quality all-organic soil, despite the fact it was a donation.

Finally, we unloaded the soil in the garden and the shed when we got back after another interesting ride. Then we cleaned up and called it a day!

Good Luck Little Seedlings!

Today, we arrived at the garden with high spirits despite the minor soil setback the edible schoolyard is facing. We got to watering the beds right away while checking the growth of the vegetables over the weekend. It was amazing to see that the seeds we planted just last week are already sprouting leaves. We were especially impressed with the bush beans and the few inches they've grown since they were planted last Tuesday!

After checking the progress of our garden, we got right to planting the rest of the seeds that needed to go into the ground. We were able to put in broccoli, pumpkin, zucchini, spinach and turnips as well as planting more corn seeds in the ground.

Next we painted numbers on each of the beds with weather friendly black paint so it will be easier to identify which vegetables are in which bed. We hope to purchase more colorful paint in order to decorate each number and set the tone for the coming season.

Finally, we reinforced the pineapple plants with the recycled trellis posts and wished them luck on their transplantation. We finished our shift by giving the plants a long watering and enough TLC to last them till tomorrow morning.

Hopefully the new seedlings adapt to the coming temperature changes in the next few days, if last week's seedlings are any indication of the determination of our garden, I believe they will be just fine.

A great start to a new week

We arrived at the garden today under a beautiful, cloudless blue sky. Though the sun’s rays beat down on us relentlessly, we set to work right away. All of the beds needed to be soaked again, even though the morning shift had already watered thoroughly. We spent some time watering all the beds that had seeds or sprouts in them. When I got to see how the watermelon was doing, I had to take a minute to admire its determination. It has pretty much covered the entirety of the bed, its tendril-like stems reaching out over the wooden edge onto the mulch. The new pineapple plants also look fantastic – their shape and height give the garden a completely new dimension.


After watering we carefully broke down the rest of the wood from the broken trellises, trying not to stab ourselves with the painfully large staples that were sticking out at inconvenient angles from the wood. These were put away in the shed, hopefully to be used again for something else for the garden.

A few minutes before two o’clock we decided to have a brief discussion about what we will be doing with the kids if they come out. Even though we all knew that there weren’t supposed to be any kids, the schedule in the shed did say that we would have some at 2pm. We wanted to be prepared in case that hadn’t changed, especially since some shifts last week had kids come out unexpectedly. We were all a little disappointed that the kids did not come out, even when we already knew they probably wouldn’t be out today. I’m excited to start working with the kids and to have them in the garden. At one point before the shift ended a little girl on her way home asked me through the fence if we were working on the “new garden for the school.” I told her we were actually just fixing up the same one from last year, and she smiled happily and walked away. All my encounters with the Lakewood students have been great – all the kids are thrilled to get to go out to the garden. Every time we walk through the halls they all seem to know that we are the older students that work in the garden. On more than one occasion I’ve heard them whispering to each other, “they’re from the garden!” as we walk past. I really cannot wait to get them out there and start interacting with them.

After our chat we planted some radish seeds next to the okra and watered the bed well. Hopefully they seeds will do well and sprout soon (it’d be great if we could get some rain). Afterwards we began work on digging up the area where the new bed would go. Noah had finished building it while Sam, Kate, and I put away the wood. We decided that where the last shift had left it, next to the herb bed, would probably be the best place for it and set to work digging about a foot into the ground so we could set it. The layer of mulch was unforgiving, and it took the better part of our shift to get it dug up and ready for the new bed. Once we got it in the ground, it seemed like we found another piece of the garden puzzle. The interesting new shape and its potential for new plants fit perfectly within the Edible Peace Patch.

Make new friends but keep the old!

Today was a day of new and old faces. The morning shift planted a new line of pineapple plants donated to the school by a local grower. The plants were placed at the top of the garden located by the three sister plants. Their long sharp leaves give a distinctly tropical look to the space even from afar. The afternoon shift was greeted at the front desk by Peggy with great news that their first class would be joining them in the garden in five minutes. We hurried to the garden and were greeted warmly by the afternoon Florida sun. It was hot but we were excited to see the newly planted pineapples. Soon we were surrounded by Ms. Burke’s second grade class, most of who had visited the garden last year and were just about jumping out of their seats to get their hands in the dirt. But there were a few new faces as well who were shyer than the others but still shared their enthusiasm. As a new comer to the garden project I was both excited and nervous to greet them in our community circle. We started with a name memorization game with a hula-hoop which everyone seemed to enjoy in the shade of only tree in the field. Then we went on a walkthrough of the garden following the experienced students who were willing to lead the groups and shared their knowledge with the newer students. After getting acquainted with the Peace Patch we filled our watering cans and in pairs the students attempted to soak the ground to the best of their ability in the beating sun. We were shortly informed by Peggy that we were expecting a second group in the garden that day and we should wrap up. After a closing circle the second graders skipped off to their classroom hot but excited about their work in the garden.
After weeding for a few minutes we were shortly greeted by a more boisterous fourth grade class for round two of garden education. After a name game and asking their favorite part of the garden from last year we followed their enthusiastic lead into the garden for a re-introduction to their beloved garden. They wanted to jump right into planting and tasting the garden but we started where the second grade had left off and continued to water. The fourth graders found watering themselves to be a relief from the afternoon sun but after some encouragement the decided the plants needed it more than they did. Thirty minutes past quickly and they returned to their classroom for dismissal. We were left tired and sweaty but very pleased with our first (and second) attempts at leading classes in the garden. It was a day full of firsts and new experiences made easier by old friends of the garden and their knowledge.

The battle is not over, nor is the war

As the unrelenting sun beat down upon us, many familiar battles were fought in the peace patch today. The trench around the perimeter of the garden was finished. I don’t think we will need to worry about trench rot though as the weeks draw closer to the dry season and as we don’t believe in wearing thick boots during our deployments. We are now pressed with the need to find good soil to fill the trench with, soil that will support the growth of the marigold and sunflower border protection (beautification really). We spent a great deal of time watering the young recruits in the beds and starter trays as well as the higher ranking crape myrtles and Florida natives throughout the garden. The gourd is still hanging in there and showing great potential to make a full recovery from the battle wound it sustained at some point this summer. The corn, watermelon, and sweet potatoes are growing specifically well. The watermelon plant alone has grown twice the size it was since the last time I was in the garden a week ago. We battled fiercely against the sedge vermin invading and attempting to overthrow our command. This task will hopefully be an activity the young officers joining us next week will find entertaining in the future. We graciously obtained the compost from the cafeteria and added it to the compost pile. We also turned the compost to keep it aerated and to keep the grass from taking (it is sneaky like that). Tomorrow we are hoping to pick up some mature pineapple plants donated by Kathy Griggs and John Edwards. Her donation is greatly appreciated by the garden team. These pineapple will be planted around the three sisters adding another aesthetic and delicious border. There was a torrential downpour this evening leaving the team hopeful there will be more to follow to ease the worries we have that the seedlings and plants are not getting enough water. Even still, tomorrow promises to be an exciting day for those of us continuing the fight.

A Pleasant Surprise on a Pleasant Day...

Today started out as a typical Wednesday morning, we arrived bright and early at Lakewood and immediately took on the tasks left to us. Some of us started with the digging of a trench around the perimeter for sunflower and marigolds. I untangled the mess of hoses so that I could water thoroughly, seeing as there was no afternoon shift. Our plants have quite insatiable thirsts, and the Florida sun is relentless even with the Autumn Equinox. It was just the four of us working and sweating when we looked up and beheld the most wonderful sight - children at the picnic tables!!! I am pretty certain that all of us were under the impression that there were no classes this week so the sight of 5 of them was unexpected. We dropped what we were doing (carefully of course) and all but ran to meet them. It turned out to be Ms. Noorbakhsh and her 1st and 2nd graders. Some of them had experienced the garden last semester but some were new to it, so we introduced ourselves and the garden. The 5 boys were anxious to get out there but we insisted on playing the vegetable game first. Funnily enough, all of them could come up with favorite fruits but most had to think about what vegetables they liked to eat.





Once we had gone over the garden rules and the necessities of growing happy plants (seeds, water, sun, soil, and love) it was nearly impossible to keep them out of the garden. We brought them through bed by bed and looked at what we had planted and what was growing. They all touched the fuzzy okra, peeked at the seedlings, and examined the huge watermelons and sweet potatoes with visible awe. One little 1st grader asked eagerly, when can we plant seeds? Well, we responded, we don't have anything to plant right now, but you can help us water and dig our trench! They were most definitely up for the challenge. And what amazing helpers they were! All of our plants got substantial drinks, as the boys kept coming back for more water for their watering cans. Our trench got deeper as they dug for gold but found shells and worms. That's just as good as gold, they agreed. With great regret we asked them to finish up what they were doing, pick up their tools, and head back to the tables. They summed up all they had learned about plants, jumping out of their chairs, competing to answer our questions. We exchanged thanks for the blissful half hour we spent together and promised we'd see each other soon. With that, they followed their teacher back inside, chatting excitedly about their garden adventure.
There was nothing else to do but go back to our work, and work we did, dripping sweat and covered in dirt but with 3/4 of the trench finished! We extracted a massive pile of rocks and I accidentally broke a shovel while trying to dig one up (sorry guys!). In the excitement of it all, I didn't get any pictures of the children, but I got one of what they left as a memento of their delightful presence - tiny gloves made for the delicate hands of little gardeners, and an adorable elephant-shaped watering can. Welcome back, kids! The garden is glad to be in your hands once again.

Sowing the Seeds of Love

What's not to love about sunny sunny Tuesday morning! As the dew evaporated off the blades of grass surrounding the garden we set to work at a vigorous pace. We saturated the beds with dormant seeds and the transplants, which are just getting their first set of real leaves. The garden is starting to come to life and soon we’ll start to see tiny flecks of green fighting through the soil for their first taste of sunlight.

Next we planted Rosemary, Endive, Okra, Bush beans, Hot peppers, and Swiss chard, sending them positive energy and love throughout the entire process. Unfortunately, some of our beds have been invaded by Red imported fire ants which seems like something out of a nightmare. In Florida any piece of disturbed soil is automatically tempting to ants. We aren’t exactly sure how to target this new problem yet and suggestions are welcome! Hopefully they won’t attack our seeds or jeopardize their early growth stages.
Lastly, we started to dig our flower trench and once it borders the garden we will create an impenetrable marigold and sunflower fence. The best part is watching the sunflowers grow progressively throughout the season and eventually towering over the heads of everyone!

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Any More Humid...

Today was a cooler day compared to the last few weeks, but boy was it humid! While the slight breeze felt rather nice, the sweat dripping continuously down my forehead reminded me of two things: 1) the difference in the weather between Florida and New York, where I grew up and where I spent my summer gardening; and 2) how much hard work setting up a garden of this magnitude really is. For the first, it was generally just a cooler summer. For the second, I was able to let my summer garden grow a little more wild, where our garden needs to be more structured here so that it helps our ability to teach the children. Also, it really just looks a lot better this way!

This last part is especially true after our hard work today. The decorative plants around the perimeter were being choked by the ever-growing grass, so we set to work today delicately weeding (also known as chopping the relentless grass with a shovel), laying down mulch around the plants, and setting up trellises for them to grow upon. We also dug more holes in the Three Sister's patch to transplant more corn into. More mulch was also moved from the pile of mulch we left over the summer into the Three Sister's patch. Since it rained yesterday, we didn't have to water much, although we gave a little extra to the gourds, which we are hoping don't die. Lastly we planted some seeds: parsley, nasturtiums, dill, cress, and carrots, as well as turned the compost. There will be more transplanting to come this week, though, as seeds we planted in starters last week popped up over the weekend and look big and healthy!

Another Sunday in the Garden

What a beautiful Sunday morning. The air was almost cool. The garden has been transformed by many hands and much mulch. The dark brown shredded bark makes a fine contrast to the bright green grass that surrounds the Peace Patch. We hauled in a hose from our back yard and walked the garden to see what was up. There is corn in the Three Sisters garden (the eldest sister) and a few more sprouts in the starter pots ready to be transplanted.
There are other things sprouting as well, too early for me to tell what they are, but they are sprouting. The kids and I turned the soils in the first four beds running south from the herb bed. Then with a pitchfork and a steel rake, we tried to level it out, leaving an ever so slight bulge in the center, to prevent pooling. Maxim filled the water can a dozen times, hauling water to all of the starters and to the sweet potato and watermelon and corn and gourd and okra. Noah helped rake the beds and took some photos you can see here and here.

There is an old farmer's saying that goes something like this: "A job done completely saves time and work." With that in mind, we may want to redouble our efforts on the sedge problem this week. The sedge plant is deceptive. It looks innocent enough. And it seems to come out quickly if you pull it at its base. But dig down along side its root. You will find that you have to dig quite far. And even then,
pull gently so as not to break the white root stem. These are living things, these sedge plants, and they have a clever life support system. This is what you're after. Buried deep in the ground is a brown spidery root bulb. You want to pinch the root bulb between your fingers and pull gently. You will ultimately remove a fairly long stem. We get the bulbs out now, or we fight sedge all through the fall. The same is true in the mulch in the places where we didn't put cardboard. Sedge is sprouting from its root bulbs.

The best part about the Peace Patch is the kind of day like today. All the potential. All the planning and ideas. And the first real evidence of the work ahead. We are off to a good beginning. Bring on the elementary school kids!

Oh Fridays

The garden is looking great and everything is coming together well. Today rounded out our two prep weeks and we ended it on a high note, Shelves! The shed has been rather messy with all the things we use not having a proper home, but no more! This morning we drove the truck over to investigate a shelving unit that has been sitting outside of a neighboorhood home for a while. By the afternoon we had tracked down the owner and had the shelf donated and moved. Its great how much a self makes a shed so much more organized.
Along with the new additions to the shed, the garden also received lots of new mulch. We got two truck loads to the garden in the morning. We are hoping those truck loads will help build up the mulch to keep the grass from growing through, but we learned two truck loads can only go so far. It seems we could be dumping mulch for weeks and still never have enough.
We spent the day moving a lot of mulch so we stayed very focused on that one task, it was easy to forget about the actual growing that was happening. At one point we got to water but it seems like vegetables from the garden are so far way from the process of spreading of mulch. It is interesting how two things so far apart are both part of the same greater goal of producing a garden for kids.

The waiting schoolyard

There were clouds in the sky teasing us with the promise of rain. The few remaining and volunteer plants struggling for survival and the raw earth waiting in the beds thirsted for that rain. But it never came. Instead we, as determined gardeners, brought watering can after watering can over to quench the unending desire that our plants had for water. We nurtured them with hugs of wetness and the assurance that we would be back tomorrow to show them that love again. The gourds were picked from the wilting vine and will be given to the art teacher at Lakewood tomorrow. All hope is not lost for our beloved gourd either. We found fuzzy new growth with leafy buds and spiraling vine tendrils ready to find the supportive chain-link fence. To further ensure the gourd’s recovering health we placed highly nutritious worm castings at the base of the gourd vine where its scarred root is exposed. We also gave the okra and watermelon a few worm casting pellets so that they would not just continue to grow, but flourish. The corn seedlings in the three sisters patch are doing well. They are growing as fast as the stubborn weeds that refuse to allow a layer of cardboard and mulch deter them from finding the sun. We will be waging a constant battle against the weeds in and around the beds the entire growing season. They are unrelenting and far too well equipped in penetrating our defenses. We have many seedlings now growing in our starters and many more just started today. We will have plenty of eggplant this year to make up for not having any last year. Today we planted pumpkin, cantaloupe, zucchini, cucumber, basil, and watermelon in the starters. We expect by Monday their brave green shoots will be poking through ready to take part in our garden. After loosening and airing the soil in the butterfly garden we planted what will be a colorful assortment of attractive flowers. At least butterflies will find them attractive. We hope. My favorite butterfly and hummingbird attracting flower, the Hollyhock, was planted so I will certainly be attracted to the butterfly garden if nothing else. The remaining mulch was spread. Tomorrow there will be a new pile of mulch to work on. The compost was also turned and watered profusely. Next week the students will join us in the garden for the first time. It will be an exciting and somewhat stressful experience for those of us that have not worked with the children of Lakewood Elementary before. Once the awkwardness of new responsibility has passed though, having the students with us will make the garden not just a peaceful patch of green life but a joyful and adventurous place where new worlds can be discovered everyday. I cannot wait to see the wonder in the eyes of children as they learn by watching our seedlings grow. To close this long-winded and wordy blog post, I would like to express the garden team’s sincere gratitude toward Mr. Frumen for donating to us an assortment of garden gloves. They will be well put to use as the weeks continue.

Inch by Inch, Row by Row, Someone Bless These Seeds I Sow...

Upon arriving at the garden this morning, I was devastated to see that the transplanted gourds and watermelon were wilted and dying of thirst in the heat. I was sad to see that whatever fungus or disease invaded the roots of the gourd that had just a week earlier beautifully blanketed the fence and decorated it with its green bulbous ornaments, had infact assured its death. Things were looking bleak, but as one of my favorite gardening quotes, spoken by Abraham Lincoln, reminded me, “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” While things at first glance seem to be getting off to a sad and slow start, there is plenty of success and hidden treasure to be discovered in the garden.
Non-organic materials and trash is steadily being cleaned up with every shift and has been making a world of difference. There were only a few remaining weeds straggling in the beds and plenty of progress is being made in weeding around the beds and along the front of the compost. The three sisters were sheet mulched this morning and despite it being a rather thin layer of mulch, it looked great. The corn has now been planted, and with much love. While digging the holes, I was pleasantly surprised to find two beautiful shells, which I placed as decoration on one of the rocks on the perimeter of the butterfly garden, which adds a subtle, but aesthetically pleasing detail. (I also dug up a marble!) The seedlings look strong and very promising. They were excited to get into the ground (and to have a nice drink).All of the beds, transplants (gourds and watermelon), plants and starters (eggplant) have been heavily saturated with water, as well as the compost piles, which have received several new layers of earth and organic matter (and are visibly home to many thriving organisms that are playing their own vital roles in building a healthy, happy garden).
Everything needs lots of love and care in the garden. The plants can feel your good intentions. Just listening to the children laughing during their P.E. class and knowing that they can’t wait to join us in the garden seems to make everyone work hard. It is going to be awesome when they are working with us. Keeping our thoughts harmonious and sending nothing but dedicated, positive energy into every action and reaction in the garden is crucial to its success. Keep up the excellent, hard work everyone and remember to stay positive!

Tough Love Tuesday September 15th

The most daunting task being faced by the Edible Peace Patch seems to be the never-ending growth of our well-adapted Florida grasses. However, we spent a majority of the day removing the day removing phantom blades that continue to grow directly against the outer walls of the beds and targeting heavier patches of growth. The compost bins are overflowing with green vegetation, eager to cook in the sun with some recycled produce acquired from Lakewood’s cafeteria. Due to the high amount of rain we’ve received in the last few days our mulch has lost some of its bulk and spots of cardboard were beginning to show through. The second half of our shift was spent distributing the mountainous pile of mulch throughout the entire garden. It feels like quite an accomplishment to reduce such a huge pile to a mere sprawled out heap. The garden is truly starting to come together; some areas are yet to be covered in cardboard and mulch but as of today we’re over half-way there.
We’ve also planted starters for corn, tomato, eggplant, watermelon, cantaloupe, and pumpkin; this season is going to be delicious! We’ve learned from the previous seasons’ experiences that the sooner seeds get into the soil the better chance they have for sustained production. The pace being set will guarantee a polished garden and a clean learning slate for the students coming out next week.

Gardening fun!

Today was my second day in the garden and I'd call it a success. We weeded a LOT today. The grass is very resilient, even with cardboard and mulch on top, it keeps coming through. The trowels helped significantly and I enjoyed following the root system from one sprout to another. The eggplant seeds were planted in starter trays and watered many times, along with the rest of the plants already in the ground and subject to the intense heat (we drank a lot of water too). I can't wait till the kids get to come out and enjoy it! I am still learning to identify all the plants, but I think I will be ready when the kids get there. I am looking forward to teaching them about the different vegetables and the fun of growing your own food. I think this semester working in the garden is going to be really fun and rewarding. Teaching children and watching them learn makes me feel like I am really making a difference. Hopefully they will tell their families and maybe encourage organic practices in their own home.

My next day of gardening is Thursday and I can't wait! More stuff to plant and definitely more weeding. The garden looks better each time I go back!

Friday, September 12

Greetings Garden People,
Today was my first time to the edible schoolyard,
but it's evident already that we're all working hard.
The few renegade plants growing in the beds,
are, compared to their peers, a step ahead.
The grass was fought back, and cardboard applied
With mulch on top of that, the grass was stupefied.
We watered and watered 'til the ground was inundated.
Then we watered once more, 'til the plants were satiated.
In the final shift, Three Sisters was cleared,
The amount of weeds was clearly feared.
But we used some new-fangled shovel tricks,
And the plot is almost ready, span and spic.
The weekend rain should help things along,
And we'll be back Monday, so keep checking in-
and you'll never go wrong.

Oh The Garden

Today was a beautiful and fulfilling day in the garden. As we shoveled the massive load of mulch from the bed of the truck I realized that this work was a bit more manual than I conceptualized. I would consider my first time at the garden a wicked success. I enjoyed every part of the unloading mulch to pulling weeds; I makes me feel like I'm really in nature. It makes me want to be outside more and more. I'm excited for the kids to be there, but I really like seeing how the garden is shaping up into a workable space. This garden is such an awesome project the way it gets kids involved with the earth in their everyday lives. I feel like it makes nature more attainable and exciting to them. I was very encouraged to overhear three small first graders walking along with each other say in a very excited voice, "Hey, they're gonna do the garden again this year!" and the others replied enthusiastically, "Really!! I love doing that!."

Happy Wednesday!

Another new group of Eckerd students ventured out on this sunny Wednesday to continue preparing the garden for cultivation and outdoor classrooms. Weeding in and around the beds was still our primary task, and everyone went to it with fervor! The crew cleaned up all the beds and made serious dents in the relentless grass around the perimeter. The compost piles are already filled with dried out grass. The fun didn't stop there; we welcomed a lovely okra plant, our first transplant of the new semester. The new outdoor shed is a wonderful addition, and the Eckerd students who've never seen the garden before thoroughly enjoyed their time in the bare but beautiful garden. We all agree on one thing though, the edible schoolyard is missing the kids. We can't wait to bring them out and get started!

Our First Fall Semester!

The Eckerd Crew is back in action this fall semester with a whole new group! Today was our first day back on site since we all came back to school last week. Myself(Donnelle) and another original Edible Schoolyard member(Erika) were joined by two new members(Keaton and Kait). Since the kids aren't going to be coming out yet, and Tuesday has no afternoon shift, we were the only group to be out there today. While we were unable to do our original task of getting more mulch, we set out to pull the grass that grew in since Autumn Term. While doing this we got a very big suprise - our shed arrived! We were overjoyed that the Pinellas County Schools were able to donate this shed to us and as soon as it was ready we set out to take everything from the much overused closet to our new, spacious shed.

While the grass still has a lot of work that needs to be put into it, we managed our time by doing that as well as planting seeds and watering. We were able to plant some seeds that I started in napkins and water at home, as well as some eggplant. I have tomatoes started as well, but every bed seems to have baby tomato plants in them and we aren't entirely sure how they got there! Nonetheless, today was a hard day of work, but at the end we were very happy with all we accomplished. A great way to start the year!