Still Enjoying the Sensory Garden
The air might be crisp, but our sensory garden is still full of life! ❄️🌿 Even with the cold weather, students are enjoying the fresh air and the sights and smells of the season. The rosemary is still in full bloom, adding a beautiful scent to these chilly days.
Victory!
My last post detailed the saga of a good-hearted boy and a tiny apple tree. I’m happy to report that little seedling is in the ground where it belongs. A little late, I know, but I’m a believer.
To summarize, a student of mine grew an apple tree sapling, 3 inches tall. The plan was to put the plant somewhere safe for the winter and plant it in the spring, but research indicated that it is possible to just plant it with a little protection for the winter, and it will have a head start in the spring. I had hoped to get it in the ground by 12/1, but we didn’t end up getting it planted until 12/8.
All the same, I think the odds are with us. If it’s alive now, I’m betting that it will stay that way. I have welding skills, so I made a cage to protect our sapling and pounded 10” stakes in to secure it. Now that the ground is frozen, the cage is very strong. I call that a win. So, wish us luck, I will keep you informed. Just know that I’ll be starting another sapling from seed under a grow lamp in February, just in case we need to pull a switch in April! Happy Holidays to all!
November Garden Pictures
The garden growing season is almost over for this year. However, there were a few plants that survived the weather.
Resilient Garden
Student enjoying the Climate Resilient Sensory Garden. While on the playground, the student walked over to the garden to smell the rosemary and said “yum”.
Hope Still Springs Eternal
I have a student in my ESL program who has made leaps and bounds in the 1.5 years I’ve known him. A Haitian boy who has probably seen and experienced unpleasantries that would shock the rest of us. We would see each other every day, and he knew that I am involved in the garden at school. One day after lunch he comes to me with 3 seeds from his apple, so I said “Cool, let’s go put these in the dirt”. I didn’t think much of it until 2 weeks later when he came to me jumping up and down and dragged me outside to see that there was a 3” sapling coming out of the ground where we put the seed.
He was beyond excited, but somewhere along the way some mischievous fingers may have uprooted the young tree, and the first attempt was for naught. He was crushed. So, we tried again. It was June and school was almost over, so I gave him a planting pot with soil, he saved the apple seeds, and we planted them again, this time knowing that he was going to take the pot home and nourish the seeds and any saplings until September when I would see him again.
Fast Forward to September, and I was afraid to ask, not knowing how much help he had at home, and not wanting to put pressure on the subject. All this time we didn’t talk about it, until the beginning of November, he showed up with the pot, and there was a sapling growing there! Imagine my surprise! I call that a win. So now, the mission is to keep it alive all winter and plant it in front of the school in the Spring. You never know where and how the difference will be made. You never know how things will turn out, and in that I see a compelling argument for optimism.
Spring Garden Build
Donations for Summer 200lbs+
We have had a truly generous gardener group this year with consistent donations to the Senior Center and the Township of Union. Here are some pictures:
Fall Harvest Picnic 2025
We had a great year! 12 new members and a full garden – no beds left to rent! This was our Fall Celebration.
Butterfly Garden
We did a full revamp of our Pollinator/Butterfly Garden finishing this year.
Garden Closing 2025 Season
Great day closing up for winter. Cooperative weather and lots of participation.
