In our Garden

Winter Wonders

Welcome to a winter addition of Garden News from Violet Street 

A big thankyou to teachers, parents and students who helped look after our chickens during the holidays and during the first week back, they look plump, glossy and happy.

Students have braved some frosty starts with the cold mornings leaving the rotunda seats covered in ice!   It's a timely reminder for everyone to come properly dressed for the weather on their gardening day.

Grade 5/6 did a thorough inventory of our edibles in preparation for our cooking program this term.  Their first cooking session last week produced beautiful results with the creative use of our edible flowers. This week's session had a varied menu and two groups cooked with green goodies from the garden.  Super spring rolls and satisfying korean rice balls were winners on the table.

F1 Q

F1 Q learnt about potting-up this week as we transplanted some of our baby lemon balm cutting to bigger pots. We talked about why we needed to do this - especially when we see their roots coming out the bottom of their containers!

F1 T  

F1T learnt about planting out seedlings when they are big enough to go into the garden.  The broad bean seedlings we started last term have been happily planted out in our chook garden.  Students carefully dug a deep hole to make sure all the roots were covered.

2/3D

Mrs D's grade enjoyed a sunny afternoon this week and the Crazy Coconuts learnt how to bandicoot potatoes for an early harvest, they also harvested rhubarb which the grade 5/6 used to make milo and rhubarb muffins.

Bandicooting is a way to harvest potatoes without pulling out the whole plant, you dig down next to the plant feeling carefully with your fingers for any new potatoes that are just big enough to eat, we were careful to only take a few and the plant keeps on growing!

Come and Join our Gardening Volunteers!

We welcome members of our school community to come and help in the garden, you just need a current working with children check and to register at the office.  You can come and join in when your child has gardening or pick another time on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.  Email our kitchen gardening coordinator Sara on sara.hill@education.vic.gov.au if you are interested.