Kitchen Garden
Thank you
Thank you to the amazing staff and families who watered and maintained the garden over summer. I know some of you were worried it was a jungle, but it was just as a summer garden should look as it comes to the end of the season; tomatoes everywhere, pumpkins escaping their boundaries and everything dying off ready for a new season to begin. Come on rain!
What’s happening in the garden
We’re harvesting tomatoes every couple of days and beginning to harvest pumpkins.
Apples are ripening on the trees.
Rhubarb is battling the summer heat.
Most summer vegetable and herb crops are at the end of their productive phase.
As we pull out crops we’ll begin nourishing the garden beds with blood and bone, seamungus, sheep poo and compost before we plant the next crop.
Vegetables to go in next are peas, beetroot, carrots, lettuce and broccoli.
The Kitchen Garden program began on Monday. 3S enjoyed an afternoon in the garden completing lots of different activities.
One group were kept busy on a treasure hunt picking all the red tomatoes hiding amongst the garden, another group tested their strength and harvested huge pumpkins. Some children picked and saved lots of bean seed and created a colourful bowl of podded dried beans for future planting in the garden and for sharing with families. And a group learnt how to safely use secateurs and loopers while trimming back the spent corn plants which will be composted. I must congratulate everyone in 3S for the way they used their manners and respected the garden and our helpers. Their eagerness and curiosity in the garden was great to see.
Helpers
Volunteer parents/carers/grandparents are more than welcome to assist with the program, whether it's a once off or on a regular basis during the year. You'll need a current Working with Children Check and will be required to sign in at the office. Prior gardening experience is not needed. Parents from any year level are welcome to help. If you have younger children they can come along, provided they are supervised by you in the garden and not disruptive to the sessions.
Please email Suzanne Seniore if you would like to volunteer. We will then notify you of dates and times. The first class to participate will be 3S with our sessions taking place on a Monday afternoon (2.20-3.20). Email: suzanne.seniore@education.vic.gov.au
Wanted items.
Do you have any unused cane baskets at home? We will happily accept them for our Kitchen Garden program. We use baskets for harvesting and displaying produce in.
Jars. Clean and labels removed. Small and medium jam or salsa jar type only.
Small black plastic pots.
If you can help with any of the above contact Allesha.
Email: allesha.gardner@education.vic.gov.au
Happy gardening everyone,
Allesha