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School's Almost Out! But the Garden Grows On...

5/20/2020

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Hello my young gardeners!

Well...my goodness what a school year this has been for all of us. We've certainly faced our fair share of challenges together, and I think our ability to pull through is a testament to our resilience and strength as individuals and as a community. As a gardener and nature lover, I often look to nature for strength and answers when I'm feeling frustrated or sad. And with so much unknown right now, witnessing the cycles of nature is so incredibly reassuring.

One cycle that is making me feel so hopeful is witnessing the return of the monarchs! We have faithfully tended to our milkweed patch/waystation for the past several years and now it has grown into a large stand of flowers absolutely teaming with life! The last few times I have visited the garden there have been monarchs floating about. Lets hope they are laying eggs and starting a new cycle of life in our sweet way station! This gives me hope and anticipation for our future. Check out the videos I took:


Another happy and beautiful discovery was the arrival of not one, not two, but three different beautifully colored California Poppies in our Native Garden! Creating a bio-diverse space is the goal of any proper native garden and I'm so excited to see that these flowers have decided to call our spot home. Look at how beautiful they are! Have you ever seen these colors in poppies before? I sure haven't:
And the veggie garden is growing great! Mr. Victor has been busy setting up irrigation for our tomatoes, peppers, peas, carrots, potatoes, basil, herbs, strawberries, chickpeas, kale, endive, beans, cabbage and more! I've been busy weeding and planting and will be planting the last of our summer garden this week with some cucumbers and winter squash that I've started at home. The veggie garden is looking wonderful and I can't wait until you can return to it and munch on some nourishing food. Here are just a few pictures to get a peep in!:
Finally, I saw this beautiful animation below and wanted to share it with you. It is on the website: The Kids Should See This which is full of great videos for curious little (and big!) minds. Have fun exploring!
I miss you all. I look forward to seeing each and every one of your smiling faces again dripping with tomatoes or grapes, or some other garden bounty! I hope you have a wonderful and safe and healthy summer and find lots of time to be in nature and appreciate all that it has to offer.

Hugs and slugs,

Ms. Anne
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Week 8: Leaf Sorting

5/12/2020

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Leaves are such incredible parts of a plant...they are basically little solar panels! Did you know that the more veins a leaf has, the faster it can convert sunshine into food? So cool!

Often, if trying to identify a plant, knowing how to discern the shape and attributes of the plant's leaf will lead you to an accurate identification! We're going to take a closer look at some of the ways we categorize leaves.

1) Materials:
  • A basket for collecting leaves
  • Your nature journal
  • pencil and colors
  • Leaves!

2) First step, and the most important, head outside! Go collect a lot of leaves of different shapes and colors and sizes. Look all around! Up in the trees, and down under your feet. Take your time and observe the many different shapes, textures and colors around you!

3) Head back to find your journal. You'll be using three pages to categorize and draw your leaves. The three categories are simple leaves, lobed leaves, and compound leaves.
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4) Next you will label your three pages. One is simple leaves, the second is lobed leaves, the third is compound leaves.
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5) Finally, go through the leaves you collected and sort them into the category you believe they belong. Draw them on the page, use colors, be accurate and take the opportunity to create a natural work of art! Pay attention to the details of your leaves and have fun.

Extra credit if you know the name of the plant the leaf belongs to and label it! :)
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Garden Update: May 11

5/12/2020

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This past week I spent the majority of my time in the garden pulling weeds! It is tedious work, but it has to be done. :) Another week has rolled by without my favorite little garden helpers and I sure do miss you! It is hard to keep up without your energy, helping hands, and silly jokes!

I did manage to harvest the garlic that the kindergartners planted back in the fall...so exciting!

I hope you all are getting a chance to spend some time in nature. It really does make you feel better! I can't wait until we get the chance to be out in the garden together again, but until then, here's the AVS garden update:
So much garlic!
Your favorite, lamb's ear, is flowering! So pretty!
Hard to tell from this picture, but this is a collection of owl pellets that I discovered directly under the owl box in the native garden. Hope our resident owl is attacking the gopher situation! BTW, as I was working around the box, I started hearing a hissing sound from inside! I think our friend was sending me a warning to keep my distance. No problem there! :)
Found under the owl box...does this belong to our owl friend?
California poppies have found their way to our native garden...and these incredible red ones make my heart sing!
More poppies next to the flowering buckwheat! A pretty combination sure to attract lots of pollinators.
The milkweed has colonized the front of the perennial garden! Lots of flowers are about to open.
Here is a pretty flower that has opened...
Lots of pollinators buzzing around! Next week I'll hunt around for monarchs! In the meantime, do you see the milkweed bug? I think it may harm the seeds of the plant but it is also a voracious aphid eater...so...friend or foe? Perhaps both.
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Week 7: Nature Boats!

5/5/2020

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The goal of this activity is to test out different materials you find in nature to see how you can create a boat! It should float, be attractive, have a sail, and utilize at LEAST 3 different materials. Extra points for more parts and beautiful design. I encourage you to test out your designs and experiment with alternative options. Extra EXTRA credit for racing your boats; would love to see your winners!

1) The pages shown here are the inspiration for this activity and gives you some design ideas!

2) Head outside and start collecting materials that you can use for your boats.

3) Assemble your boat.
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4) Set sail! Find a spot to test out your boat. It can be a pool, pond, bucket or bath tub. Evaluate your design and then make your improvements!

5) When you've finalized your design challenge someone in your house to race you with their own and let me know how it goes! Happy sailing! :)
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Garden Update: May 4

5/5/2020

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The summer garden is really starting to take shape! This week I pulled plants, prepped beds, and planted a few more starts in the garden. So much more to do, and the weeds in the native garden is a bit scary, but, for now, veggies are growing!
AVS garden cleans up so nicely :).
Aaaand possibly my favorite color in the garden, pomegranate blossoms. Always something to look forward to in our garden!
Red roses are always a good thing. Endive and cabbage planted in the box in front.
Potatoes are growing well! Already looking forward to our "treasure hunt" when we dig them up. :)
And then there are strawberries. Just, the best.
Poppies are showing their glowing face!
Plant kale: check! Wouldn't be the AVS garden without some kale growing somewhere!
The aloe is flowering under the nopal and looks beautiful! Like little fireworks.
I decided to grow some chickpeas this year...curious to see how they grow!
Nopal is flowering! Soon will be covered in juicy red fruits. Mmmm. Young paddles are almost ready for harvest!
Found this volunteer Cupani Sweet Pea by the compost bins. Such a sweet surprise.
The borage has completely taken over this corner of the garden! It buzzes with bees....
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Garden Update: April 26

4/26/2020

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So much to be done in the garden! I sure miss my garden helpers and am really noticing HOW. MUCH. WORK you all do! Seriously. You all dig, and plant, and wheelbarrow, and weed, and giggle, and dig, and water and giggle some more! Garden isn't quite the same without you but I'm plugging away with the help of Mr. Victor, and things are looking pretty good.
This little guy was hanging out in the greenhouse! I was so happy to discover this friend- frogs are voracious eaters and I have no doubt this amphibian was helping keep the greenhouse pest free. So much gratitude to the garden helpers!
Ahhh roses are blooming.
So many strawberries!
The sage is blooming right next to a happy artichoke- one of the most exciting edible flowers!
The garlic is sending up a little flower head- do you see it in this picture? I'll be cutting them this week so that the plant sends its energy back down to making a big bulb that we can eat. If I didn't cut it the plant would send it's energy to the flower and our bulb would be puny. ;)
Potatoes are up! Yes!

And a little moment of zen:
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Week 6: Garden Mandala

4/26/2020

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Before you start the garden mandala, I'd like for you to check on your kitchen scrap planting and note observations in your journal for week 3! How's it looking? See any green yet? Roots growing longer? What's the color of the water? This should only take you a moment to complete before you begin this week's activity:

Garden Mandalas!

This is one of my favorite activities to do with kiddos because every single one comes out so beautiful! To to this you need very few materials but take your time and really design your masterpiece!

Please note, we will be pressing these in your journals so be sure to collect only thin items that won't be bumpy and bulky. Flat items work best.

Also, because we use glue and will be pressing these you will need to be sure not to use too much glue. Only the minimum amount to keep the glue from seeping over the edges of the materials and gluing the pages shut. We used some wax paper to start out with first (as you'll see in pictures) and then took it out later to finish off the pressing.

Have fun and enjoy the beauty all around you!

Hugs and slugs,

Ms. Anne

Materials Needed
  • Your journal
  • A pencil
  • Glue
  • A basket for collecting
  • Petals and leaves etc from nature!
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1) Open your journal to a blank page. You will be dividing your mandala page into four sections. You can choose to do your mandala on one page or over two pages next to each other. Either way, title your page "Spring Mandala" and then draw a large cross on your page dividing it into four equal sections.

2) Time to collect your materials! You will be designing a mandala that is symmetrical so you will need multiple of each type of material. Remember that flat objects are best!

3) Now you design your mandala. All four sections should be identical so lay out your materials as you like. If you find that you need more- go grab more! This is the creative process using the colors and shapes of nature...enjoy!

4) Once you've finished your design, take small amounts of glue and stick your materials to your page. We used toothpicks to ensure we wouldn't use too much and that was a good strategy!

5) Time to press them! If you have wax paper at home then cut a piece of it and put it over your mandala so that if there is any glue it will remove easier from the wax paper. After a couple of hours you can check on it, remove the wax paper, and then press for the week!
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Week 5: Treasure Hunt

4/19/2020

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It's hard to believe we are on our 5th week of learning from home! This week will have two sections in our activity. First, you will check on your kitchen scrap starts to see how they're growing. Then you will collect treasures according to ten categories listed below. After you have collected the treasures then you will build either an art sculpture, or the beginnings of a fairy home...up to you! Have fun hunting and creating!

Materials Needed:
  • Your nature journal
  • A pencil and colored pencils
  • Your kitchen scrap plantings
  • A basket
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1) Open your journal to your kitchen scrap planting diagram. Find the second line that you have created for week 2 observations. Look at your plantings and then describe in both words and pictures how it has changed over the course of the week. Be sure to note the date, week and number of days that has passed!
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2) Next, you will turn to the following page in your journal and set up a diagram like the picture that follows. You will have two columns: one for a category type, and the other for the object you find that fits into your category. There are 10 categories: hard, soft, purple, multi-color, old, new, big, tiny, orange and shiny. You are welcome to add additional category types, like round, square, symmetrical, oblong, whatever it may be!
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3) The next part is the hunt! Find something that falls into each category that is a treasure to you...something that you like and that speaks to you. Put it in your basket and as you collect your treasure, be sure to add what you have found to your list in your journal. You may find more than one and add categories as you go! The point is to collect all types of treasures.

4) Finally, and most importantly, create some art. Build an artistic sculpture out of your treasures or start a fairy house. Take your time, be creative and have fun! Please be sure to take a picture of your final product and send it to me! Happy hunting!
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Garden Update: April 19

4/19/2020

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It is time to put in the summer garden! I've spent the past several weeks pulling weeds, harvesting compost, pulling out the winter garden and prepping the beds for the next season! Now it's here! April 15th marks the last frost date according to our climate zone and so it is "game on". This week I pulled out a lot of very large kale plants and got to work planting tomatoes! I will keep planting the coming weeks and will let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, be sure to check out our plant "sale" page on this website. I have lots of beautiful tomato starts, among other things, and they're all free to you. Pick-up date is this Friday, April 24th. Send me an email to let me know what you want and I'd love to catch a glimpse of you as we hand off your plants!

Hugs and slugs,

Ms. Anne
A cheery day in the garden!
I found this little carrot when I was pulling out the broccoli- such a warm embrace- made me miss my AVS gardeners! Sending carrot hugs to all...
SO. MUCH. KALE.
It's heating up in the greenhouse!
Beautiful native penstemon flowering in the native garden!
Flowering arch..
The wisteria is looking so beautiful!
Spring onion...
Perfect little fairy mushrooms!
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Week 4: Growing Kitchen Scraps

4/14/2020

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Hello and welcome to week four of home garden class!

The past three weeks we've focused on observing nature and using our journals to record our observations. This week we will be starting a project where we use common kitchen scraps to grow our own food at home! This will be an exciting experiment for all of us. I have long heard that you can do this but have never tried! I'm thrilled to see how we can reuse our scraps to continue to feed our families.

I will be asking that you start the project today, but that you then check in once a week for the next 6 weeks to note the changes in your plant over time as well as continue to add water! Follow the step-by-step instructions below and please reach out if you have any questions!

To do this project you will need to check in with an adult in your home to try and figure out what kitchen scrap you can use. Any of the following are commonly found kitchen scraps that should work but feel free to experiment and try different types!

Lettuce
Leek
Green Onion
Celery
Carrots
Beets

Here we go!

Materials Needed:
  • Your nature journal, pencil and ruler
  • One of the above mentioned vegetables
  • Knife and Cutting board
  • Clear container
  • Water
  • Toothpicks
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1) Cut your scrap. Take good care of your fingers and please ask an adult for supervision if you aren't comfortable handling a knife. You will need to cut the bottom part of your vegetable off leaving about a half inch to a full inch above the root.

2) Insert 4 toothpicks around the vegetable scrap, but ABOVE the root section so that the root will submerge and suspend in the water.

3) Fill up your container with water- nearly to the top! Then suspend your kitchen scrap in the water making sure that the root section of your scrap is submerged.

4) Now you are going to set up your journal page for today's, and future, observations. First you will open to two blank pages. We will be doing six weeks of observations. Please draw in a table with labels and in the first week's section you will draw a picture of your kitchen scrap and write an explanation of what you did. See example below:
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5) Put your scrap on a windowsill where you can check on it regularly. You will want to be sure that you add water as it evaporates so that the roots stay submerged.
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This is an example of a leek I did about 10 days ago to see how this experiment would go. It has changed quite a bit in that time with a lot longer roots and the top is starting to show some growth as well. I'm excited to see how it continues to change!
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