The Orca K-8 School Garden Blog!

It’s that time of year again, when we celebrate all the hard work and learning that was done in the garden this year. It is a yearly tradition here to muddle up limes, strawberries, ice, simple syrup, and MINT to make a delicious bubbly drink (a faux-jito?), toast each other, and take one last stroll and hang in the garden.

Our favorite kindergarten matriarch MARLETTA!

There might have been a couple dance parties too. Will MJ live forever??? Yes, at least in the garden.

It’s a time of reflection too as many students (especially in the 5th grade) are moving on and are saying goodbye to their friends. Adios!

See ya 5th grade!

And here are many of these fine youngsters 6 years ago! To be able to hang out and learn with them for 6 years has been an honor!

A mere 6 years ago!

Our weeks long project of harvesting and drying out rosemary, thyme, and oregano has finally come to fruition. We took some of our mixed pizza herb blend home to enjoy the Orca bounty all summer long.

Students were involved in the entire process including some last minute thyme harvesting off of their dry stalks. A word of advice to prospective garden educator herb activity creators- make more than you think you’ll need! A little of harvesting that is blended up in my ninja food processor becomes smaller and smaller with each twirl. You’ll need a lot!

I made some kale pesto using 3 kinds of kale, olive oil, and a lil’ salt. Reactions were generally positive..

Soil mix masters

The greenhouse is abuzz with sounds of worker bee Orca students planting seeds for the future bounty of hundreds of area gardens. We like to get our tomato seeds going early in February for our annual plant sale on MAY 9th, 2015. We also donate hundreds of plants to area schools & non-profits (contact us if you want some!), along with supplying our own garden with these plants.

Green thumbs

We had students creating a unique blend of seed starting mix that consists of organic Cedar Grove potting soil, Orca soil from the garden, and worm castings from our onsite worm bins. 3rd, 4th, & 5th gets to do some real life fraction work with this blend, while the younger kids get the blend the best they can. A good blend is important for seed growth.

The mix

We are probably getting ahead of ourselves, but we were out planting kale & chard seeds in the sunshine. Early birds get the kale, so we hope they grow in this semi-chilly weather.

Planting kale seeds outside