Notes from the Learning Garden: Thoughts and Photos

Last week marked the end of our Children's Learning Garden After-School Programs for 2011. We finished up with a scavenger hunt that reminded the kids of the many activities we did throughout our six weeks together: making popcorn, planting garlic, feeding the chickens from the garden, and eating delicious carrot spread! As expected, they did an impressive job remembering all of the answers.


What fun we have had! Each of the children in our programs showed incredible creativity in all projects, such as the scarecrows that we made (above) and the musical gourds that they painted. They would even sometimes come up with elaborate expansions of games that we played and their garden knowledge was striking as we watched them identify plants from the garden on their own. And their patient fascination with gardening--we harvested marigold seeds for almost twenty-five minutes on Tuesday!--has been so much fun to watch.


In the weeks ahead it will be very quiet (and perhaps just a bit lonely) around the farm without our after-school groups running and laughing in the fields. But this past weekend's snow has reminded us that it is time to slow down, put the garden to bed, and recharge for another year.

See you next season!

Becca, Jericho, Marie, and Kristin