Winter

Valentine’s Day Botany

Submitted by sarahp on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 02:16

By:

Sarah Pounders

Right Side Box:

Download related lessons Where did that Bouquet Come From?

and Flower Power: Making Flower Arrangements.

The cacao tree and rose bush are the botanical royalty of Valentine’s Day. What better way to show your love than through a gift of chocolate and flowers?

With plant products in the limelight, Valentine’s provides you with the perfect opportunity to show students the important role our green friends play in our celebrations and traditions. Here are a few fun facts to share with your students this Valentine’s Day:

The Cacao or Chocolate Tree

Winter Creativity

Submitted by sarahp on Sat, 12/29/2012 - 01:29

By:

Marci Birkes

Want to put a new spin on your family’s backyard winter fun? Sparking far more creativity than the typical snowman (although I’ve seen a few highly creative snowmen in my day) introduce your family to the work of sculpture and photography artist Andy Goldsworthy.

Planting a Windowsill Herb Garden

Submitted by pauls on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 04:37

By:

Paul Simon, Landscape Architect

Right Side Box:

Tips for Kids

Learn what conditions each herb prefers. For example, basil prefers warmth, while sage and rosemary like cooler temperatures. Click Here to review additional plant care guides for herbs.
Pinch back branching plants, such as basil, to keep them shrubby rather than leggy.
Choose compact or dwarf varieties.
Leaves receiving enough light will be thick and normal in size. Which window in your house receives at least 5 to 6 hours of daily sunlight? Keep in mind that insufficient light results in thin, small leaves.
Keep soil moist but not soggy. Pressing your finger into the top inch of potting mix is a good way to check for soil moisture.

Dill can look like fireworks!Growing herbs indoors on a sunny windowsill can provide a convenient source of fresh basil, dill, rosemary,

Cleaning Indoor Air with Plants

Submitted by pauls on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 11:12

By:

Paul Simon, Landscape Architect

So it’s the winter season and my kids and I have been thinking about purchasing some new indoor plants to spruce-up the house. Of course instead of having another typical plant shopping trip, I begin thinking about how to make this experience adventurous and educational! This is when I remembered a past article, by Charlie Nardozzi, about a study conducted between NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA).

How to Make a Giant Holiday Wreath

Submitted by pauls on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 16:58

By:

Paul Simon, Landscape Architect

Right Side Box:

Supply List

Two 1/2" x 8ft electrical PVC conduit
Four 1/2" electrical U-shaped clamps
Spool of Garden Twine
Deciduous and evergreen cuttings from the yard
Suggestions include: Hemlock, taxus, red-twig dogwood, winterberry, and pine.

Assembling two 1/2" electrical conduit pipes will create a 7-foot diameter wreath.

Here's a fun project your kids are sure to enjoy - creating a giant wreath for the holidays!

Creating Color in the Winter Garden

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 12:11

By:

Paul Simon

This year has been an exceptionally snowy year for many families across the US. The frequent snowfall has provided my family with opportunities to ski, play outside, and spend quality time shoveling out the driveway again and again, and again. Our home landscape has been a monochromatic color of white with a handful of dark colored trunks emerging here and there.

Planning Pays Off

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:49

Elementary science teacher Steve Tomsik feels that it is his primary job to get his students into the garden as much as possible because of the great extensions between knowledge and exploration.

Right Side Box:

Nutrition Program Highlights

The school now maintains a partnership with Wellness in the Schools, an organization that has facilitated a gradual change in lunch meals, and provides chefs and cooking interns who work with cafeteria staff to prepare healthy lunches. The lunch menu now offers freshly prepared meals (including an occasional special lunch of grass-fed beef) with a daily salad bar. They have also held parent-lunch days to show how the lunches have improved.
The school sponsors a Harvest Day each year in October to showcase food harvested from the garden. Students enjoy a special lunch (with available garden produce), tasting tables, visits from local farmers, and Garden to School Café programs. Pictures of the Harvest Day can be seen on the school’s website.

Garden Gifts for Kids

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 01:30

Author: Paul Simon

December is a busy month of decorating, parties, shopping, shopping, and oh yeah, shopping. Like my spouse, my children love to shop – they are happy to spend hours browsing through the stores, especially toy and book stores. This month, I offer up some of my family’s favorite garden-related holiday gift ideas for kids:

Nature-Made Holiday Decorating

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 01:25

By:

Paul Simon

It’s amazing how the holiday season hits us earlier every year. It is a shock to see the overnight transition from the Halloween décor at the local stores to dazzling displays of red and green merchandise, as if some momentous event were imminent.

Teen Mentors and Third Graders Flourish in Literacy Garden

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 09/01/2010 - 01:02

Photo by Callie PowellIn Downsville, Louisiana, third grade teacher Donna Alford had a bounty of science-focused books, but no time to dig into them with students. Meanwhile, at the high school next door, teens had worked with community volunteers to bring a greenhouse and garden to life. English and biology teacher Keli Bryan imagined some fertile connections: Create a service learning project in which tenth graders serve as mentors to the third grade reading class by using gardening literature and curricula.