Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden
Bianca Tondo
Garden Specialist
Winter in the Kitchen Garden
August has arrived, and while winter may have slowed things down in the Kitchen Garden, there is still plenty happening beneath the soil, among the leaves and, as we discovered recently, even inside the chicken feed bins!
Winter is always an interesting time in the garden. The cooler weather and shorter days mean that growth can be slow, and our plants certainly seem to be taking their time. But that is one of the wonderful things about gardening — it teaches us that not everything happens quickly. Sometimes we need to be patient, observe carefully, make adjustments and simply wait for nature to do its thing.
This term, students have enjoyed harvesting our oranges, bringing a little burst of sunshine into the cooler winter days. There is something particularly satisfying about picking fruit straight from the tree and knowing that it will soon make its way into our Kitchen Garden classes. Students love being part of the whole process — from harvesting and preparing ingredients to cooking and, of course, sharing the finished creation together.
Not everything in the garden has gone according to plan, though! Our first crop of broccoli has unfortunately not made it. We suspect the lack of winter sunlight may have played a part. Rather than giving up, we have put on our problem-solving hats and planted a second, later crop of broccoli. Now we wait and see! Gardening is a wonderful reminder that things don't always work the first time, and sometimes the best thing we can do is learn from what happened, try something different and have another go.
Our students have also continued to spend time caring for our chickens, helping to clean out the coop and making sure our feathered friends have a clean and comfortable home. These jobs may not always be glamorous, but they are an important part of caring for animals and our shared garden spaces. Working together, taking responsibility and noticing what needs to be done are all valuable parts of Kitchen Garden learning.
And then there are the creatures of Kingswood!
You never quite know what you might discover when you are exploring our school grounds. Recently, while checking one of our chicken food bins, we found a very unexpected visitor — a drop-tailed skink**!** It certainly wasn't what we were expecting to find hiding amongst the chicken feed. Discoveries like this are a wonderful reminder that our school garden is more than just a place where we grow vegetables. It is a little ecosystem of its own, providing homes, food and shelter for all sorts of creatures.
For our students, these unexpected discoveries create opportunities to stop, look closely and ask questions. What is it? Why is it here? What does it need? Where might it be going? The garden is constantly giving us reasons to be curious.
As we move through August and look towards the first signs of spring, we are watching closely for those little changes that tell us the seasons are turning. A new shoot appearing, a flower beginning to form, a vegetable getting just a little bigger, or the first signs of warmer weather can all become something worth noticing.
The Kitchen Garden continues to be a place where students can slow down and be curious learners, while developing patience, curiosity, responsibility and a genuine connection with the natural world. Sometimes we harvest a bumper crop, sometimes the broccoli doesn't cooperate, and sometimes we find a skink in the chicken feed — but there is always something to learn.
We can't wait to see what spring brings!
Happy Gardening!