Our salad leaves growing in the greenhouse
All is quiet in the school. The children are off on half term doing whatever it is they do during the holidays.
In the greenhouse however, the salad that we planted a couple of weeks ago is quietly getting on with the business of growing!
Despite the cold weather, the warmth in there is allowing the salad leaves to grow well. A quick water and with the door shut tight, it can carry on until next week when the children can check the progress it is making.
When it is ready, we are going to do a taste test. We will try our own home grown variety against a shop bought pre-packed kind.
I am sure ours will win hands down.
Ann explaining how to plant our bulbs
It was bulbs all round this week!
After a quick check on our salad leaves from last week (all germinated and looking good!) we got to work on planting our spring bulbs.
In conjunction with The London Children’s Flower Societies Spring Bulb Growing Competition, each child planted a daffodil and hyacinth bulb in a pot for the competition. We learnt from Ann about the two different ways of planting the bulbs. The spares we put in our flowerbeds.
We also managed to put in a few onions bulbs- Radar to be exact. They were kindly donated by Howard and Allan from the Observer who called in for a visit today too. We had to admit defeat in the corn growing area. Theirs was much better!
A long wait to see the results of today’s planting but a good comparison with our salad from last week. The children are beginning to get a better understanding of the different ways of growing different things.
Sharing salad seeds
This week we decided to get some salad growing.
We are taking part in the Morrisons ‘Let’s Grow’ scheme where shoppers can collect vouchers for the school. Our collection box is filling up fast and will allow us to get free gardening equipment such as seeds, compost and even wheelbarrows!
When we signed up to the scheme, we were sent some packets of mixed salad leaves, so each member of the club had their own seed tray where they planted the seeds. After labelling them up, watering and putting them in the greenhouse, we shall see who can grow the yummiest looking salad.
A quick poll of the 12 children asking “Who likes salad?” revealed 4 who didn’t. I hope (as has happened on many occasions before) that after they have grown their own – they will change their minds.
Because for me, this is one of the most important reasons for starting the club in the first place.
hold the front page!
Sunday saw the club appear in the Observer magazine. Their allotment update included our visit and it was great to see such a lovely picture of us all!
It really is a good partnership. The children get to see that growing vegetables is done by all kinds of people in all kinds of situations and it will hopefully produce a long term interest for them. For the adults, swapping growing tips and getting ideas is all part of it too. Bright Lights Chard will definitely be added to our shopping list this year.
Speaking of long term interests, my dad (who rang me after seeing the article) told me that it is 38 years since he started growing his own vegetables!
That certainly is something to aspire to!
Filed under: Visitors
Using our new tools
We had two visitors today at gardening club – and they came bearing gifts!
Our local Sainsburys in Camden runs a scheme where they will give away free gardening equipment to schools and we were the lucky recipients!
Two members of staff came to the club and had a tour before the children were able to pounce on their goody bag. Trowels, forks, spades, plant pots, rakes, brushes and watering cans were all enthusiastically pulled out and the children set to work with them in the garden.
We also received a lovely book called ‘Grow it, Cook it, Eat it and the children were keen to try out the recipes – especially Halloween Soup and Best Ever Carrot Cake. A great way for us to decide what to grow in the spring will be choosing which things we would like to cook and then growing the vegetables for the recipe.
A good day all in all!
Little Green Fingers..........Gospel Oak school's gardening club 