A Year in the Challenge Learning Garden
January
Planning Meeting - Parents
Discuss any additional classroom collaborations for the year
Goal setting
Project ideas
Garden theme for the year
February
Detailed plans for the Spring Garden
Start earliest seedlings.
Continue to plan out Team C’s Spring garden including scheduling class planting times
March/April
Plant Spring garden with Team C
Onions, potatoes, brassicas, etc. Peas later.
April
Early work days. Seedling growth.
Start Spring Gardening with volunteers of parents & kids.
Many of the seedlings will be planted and growing under Mr. King’s grow lights.
May
Summer Planting
Kindergarteners plant the flower beds.
Host Big Work Day.
Plant transplants with volunteers for summer garden.
Sign up for daily watering of the garden
June
Growing the Garden
Continue daily watering of the garden.
Host meet ups for garden maintenance through out the summer.
Meet to wrap up spring garden and replant some areas for more summer veg
July
Mid Summer Harvest
Harvest Garlic and replant for more summer/fall veg.
Continue Weeding
Evaluate garden for pests and take action
August
Care of the garden.
Clean up for kids’ return to school.
Continue harvesting by families working in the garden.
School starts! Gather new volunteers
Continue daily watering into Fall
September
Continue Garden Growth & Larger Harvest
Continue harvesting and garden care
As the garden provides, Farm Stand Fridays will be organized to allow the extra harvest to be available to all Challenge families
Host a work day for kids to harvest and do garden maintenance for Challenge Cares Day.
October
Final Harvest and Festivities
Wrap up harvests
Fall Festival (timing dependant) - Host garden activities, sometimes a pumpkin sale and “The Launch”.
Fall plantings - Team B plants garlic and cover crops
November
Put the Garden to Bed
Host a work day to put the garden to bed for the winter.
December
Start dreaming about gardening next year!