Spring is Coming
February 2020 Newsletter
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Birds at Burnley-Moran
written by Mackenzie Morgan
Something that we get asked a lot as garden coordinators with CSG is “What do you do in the winter?” While it is true that there have been days during these cold and rainy months that I wish it were spring already, there is still ample exploration going on in our gardens and in classrooms this time of year. We use this time to do activities that are adaptable to both indoor and outdoor, in case we have a nice day that allows us to get outside (which has happened a lot this winter). Some of the activities we’ve been doing are bean dissection and sprouting, seed starting, and of course worm exploration. But my favorite winter garden lesson is our Bird and Binocular walk...
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Harvest of the Month at Clark Elementary
Since starting as a garden coordinator at Burnley Moran and Greenbrier Elementary Schools, I’ve been surprised by how excited students are about trying food. In the fall when the gardens were still teeming with tomatoes, peas, bok choi and more, it was common to turn around to see students with a handful of vegetables or a mouth stuffed with lettuce. I remember this time that a student tapped me in the garden, “Miss Mackenzie, look at my burrito!” She’d stuffed a malabar spinach leaf with 2 cherry tomatoes and a snap pea. Not a class went by without a “can we eat stuff?” But with the frosts of winter came empty garden beds and not much for students to harvest and eat. However, students at Greenbrier Elementary decided they didn’t want the winter to get in the way of trying new things. One teacher in particular was thrilled to get her students cooking and eating. Mrs. Kumar’s 4th grade class has been cooking up a storm this winter, focusing on making recipes in the classroom with the Harvest of the Month crops.
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When the Forsythia Blooms
February is the time of year when trees start to buds, daffodils begin popping up and the forsythia start to bloom. According to Ira Wallace, the author of Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast, blooming Forsythia is a sign to act! When you see the long stems begin to burst with yellow flowers, it is time to grow peas and spinach under row cover.
Peas: Pea vines are resistant to frost--allowing you to start them early. Sow peas directly into the ground and inch or two deep. Use a row cover for protection. Installing a trellis at the beginning, before you plant peas, will ensure that you don't damage the vines installing it later.
Spinach: Spinach will be planted close and thinned later. Spinach prefers cold weather and mulching your bed will help keep the roots cool to prevent them from bolting as the weather gets warmer. Once your plant has developed "true leaves" you can start thinning the extras leaving them 4-6 inches apart. Use the trimming to top a salad!
Meet Aleen Carey in her
new role!
Aleen has been a long standing board member of City Schoolyard Garden. In January, Aleen joined staff as the Outreach and Resource Program Director. Read a little on what Aleen is working on!
What’s your favorite part of being involved in CSG?
This organization has grown right alongside the plants in the garden and the students and community members who have made that happen for a decade. There are some very impressive numbers in regard to how many student interactions have taken place in the gardens and how the staff has worked to fund that growth. But the thing that makes me most proud of CSG is seeing students who first participated in elementary or middle school as they have continued at the high school level and beyond. There are students who have worked as summer interns and some who have become employees of CSG; that says so much about this organization.
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Meet the Board- Daisa Pascall and Dan Fellows joins the team!
With the new year comes many new board members. Some of them faces that have had relationships with CSG for years and some are new faces drawn to CSG's work. This month we are excited to highlight Daisa and Dan.
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Daisa Pascall is an art teacher at Walker Upper Elementary School. A previous Golden Trowel winner for her work with Clark's After School club, Daisa is no new face to CSG.
Check out the story where we interview her and hear a little about what brought her to join the CSG board!
A Managing Partner at The Fellows Group, Dan Fellows has long history with non-profit work and was drawn into the work after hearing from a board member.
Check out interview and hear a little about what brought him to join the CSG board!
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CSG sends out a hearty thank you to each and every one of the individuals, businesses and foundations that support making youth garden connections. We thrive with your partnerships. Thank you!
Join our Cultivar Partners.
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Are you interested in Volunteering?
Make sure that you're signed up to receive the volunteer emails sent out monthly. We have regular Harvest of the Month volunteer opportunities, garden workdays, building projects, beautification projects and love support from the community to get these done!
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