First Day Planting the Garden- Fruits and Vegetables Galore!

Wednesday proved to be a wonderful day to introduce the kids at Fairmont Park to their new garden, teach them about seeds, and get over 100 baby plants in the peace sign-shaped garden bed! The children each got to plant their own plant and got a lot accomplished on their first day in the garden; we planted all kinds of fruits and vegetables, such as tomato, broccoli, lettuce, bok choi, kale, cabbage, cucumber, green pepper, jalepeno peppers, kohlrabi, and Swiss chard.

Brand new plants started in the peace-sign!

The entire day was full of excitement, fun, and learning. We learned all about seeds - where they come from and how they grow, and what things they need to grow best, such as lots of water, sunshine, and nutrients from the dirt. We discussed the special soil that was created in the garden beds just for the baby plants we were going to plant together, and how it was better for the babies because it held more nutrients to help them grow big and produce more vegetables and fruits. 

Tomato plants at the top of the peace-sign.

All afternoon we had different classes visiting their new garden, and each child got to plant their very own plant. Every student was eager to grab a shovel and ready the ground for their starter plant, and they got even more excited at the prospect of getting to watch it grow as the year progressed. 

Bok Choi, Cabbage, Lettuce, Swiss Chard, and Greens.

The third graders were especially engaged and involved, quickly getting their plants in the ground and asking for more to plant! They planted most of the Bok Choi, all of the greens and lettuce, and the cabbage (pictured above). They are learning all about plants in the classroom and were able to apply their recently acquired classroom knowledge to a real-life experience on the school grounds. They loved it! Watching them flourish, grow, and learn in this environment was spectacularly inspiring, to say the least. 

Swiss chard and lettuce bed- Planted closer to the tree to provide more shade.

Another great moment to witness with the children was when they found that the roots of the Swiss chard were pink and red! They were astounded that they were such a bright color and showed them off to all who were around. We planted the lettuce, kohlrabi, and chard closer to the oak tree because leaf lettuce like less sun than other plants and will fare better during the summer. 

Up-close view of the lettuce bed.

We also attempted to group together alike plants, or at least the plants that had similar water or sunlight needs. This makes it easier to maintain the garden and provides them with optimal conditions. Some plants like being next to each other more than others, and they are called companion plants. Plants like peppers and tomatoes form a symbiotic relationship and benefit from one another, so we placed tomatoes in between our green peppers, and jalapeno peppers next to the other tomatoes. 

Stay tuned to watch how the garden (and the children) grow!