Thank you to all who came out to the blueberry fundraiser!

Over 80 people turned out on Wednesday night to hear Stan Ingram's informative talk on growing blueberries.  In addition to his other duties at Coonamessett Farm, Stan manages the farm's extensive blueberry field and attendees benefited from his valuable knowledge and experience.  Many of us enjoyed coffee and delicious home-baked treats (thank you, bakers!), and tried our luck at some exciting prizes, from blueberry-growing supplies to pies!

 Thank you to our donors:

Eight Cousins

Parkside Market

Peachtree Circle Farm

Pie in the Sky Bakery and Cafe

Windfall Market

and thank you to:

Stan Ingram of Coonamessett Farm,

the Falmouth High School National Honor Society for providing child care,

the Mullen-Hall P.T.O for their support,

Margaret McCormick of the Woods Hole Public Library, for seeking out an abundance of blueberry-themed books for the child care room,

 and to all the wonderful volunteers who helped make the night possible!

 

Proceeds from the blueberry fundraiser will go toward the next phase of garden construction at the Mullen-Hall School Garden, which will focus on permanent, curriculum-connected plantings.  

Couldn't make it?  No sweat!  You can still order blueberry plants through April 12 for pickup on April 21.  See the 'Pages' list here on the blog for a link to a printable order form.  We'll provide you with the growing info you need at pickup time.

Garden Work Day

 Our first Garden Work Day of the spring season was on March 13.  

Students worked alongside family and friends to help wake up the garden for spring.

 We found spring bulbs already awakening...

 ...and some strong second-graders made a simple barrier to protect them from busy feet.

Measuring and marking wood for new raised bed, bringing our total to 10!

 Corner brackets going in.

Many hands make light work!

 By cart,

 and by bucket, the new bed was filled.

A good day's work!

Next Work Day:

We'll meet again in the garden this Thursday, March 28 at 3:30 - all are welcome!

Believe it or not

Spring is here.

Blueberry Fundraiser for the Mullen-Hall School Garden!

Within Each Seed

"Seeds are sometimes called "plant babies," because within each seed is a tiny plant waiting to grow.

First a seed so tiny
Hidden from the sight,
Then two pretty leaflets
Struggling toward the light;
Soon a bud appearing
Turns into a flower,
Kissed by golden sunshine,
Washed by silver shower."

-from the World Book Encyclopedia entry on Seeds, 1926

Yoga Benefit for the Mullen-Hall School Garden with Carmina Mock

A Winter Pause

Although we had greens thriving well into January, this latest storm is giving the garden a much-needed rest. It's a fun time to take a walk back there and feel the quiet, look for animal tracks and leave a heart on the fence for Valentine's Day. It's also a good time to look back on how far we have come in just one year with this brand new school garden.

Feb. 2012:  Here we are one year ago, a skeleton crew of teachers and parents in the garden site,  crossing our fingers for a grant.  The cedar tree on the right in the picture is the one that now lives in the middle of the bird and butterfly garden.

March 2012:  Josh Leveque designs the garden plan. 

April 2012:  Groundbreaking begins: Paul Rapoza levels ground and lays bricks for the patio.

May 2012:  Helping Hands Day -- the first plants go in and the bird and butterfly garden is born.

Summer 2012:  Families volunteer to keep the new plants watered over the summer so that they are healthy blooming by fall. We have butterflies and caterpillars in the garden and lots of bird visitors as well.

September 2012 -- By the time the children come back to school in the fall the garden plans have become real. 

October 2012:  With the creation of the Gardens Alive volunteer program, most of the students were able to experience the garden, observe it, and plant fall greens and bulbs. 

Some of Mr. Tyson's P.E. classes got some good exercise spreading wood chips in the garden and Kid's Club helped fill the beds with soil.

November 2012:  Harvest time! Some beautiful greens came out of the garden and went home with some of the children to share with their families at Thanksgiving. The Falmouth Service Center received some of the Mullen-Hall greens as well.

December 2012:  With the garden slowing down and the holidays approaching, some classes found the time to remember the birds with pine cone and bagel bird feeders.

Winter 2013:  And here we are, buried in snow and dreaming of spring.  Starting in March we will be planting seeds in the classroom and getting ready for another active season in the garden. Halfway through our first year, we are hopeful that the garden will become a regular part of life at school. We are grateful to everyone that has played a role thus far to make the garden happen.  There's a lot more fun and learning to come!