Our Strawberry Plants

Today we finally got our strawberry plants back up on the fence in their troughs. Now we just can't wait for the yummy strawberry's to grow into fruit. We have some flowers on our plants which is a good sign. 

Sowing Carrot seeds.

On Thursday Elliott, Shyann, Charli, and Georgia, helped to sprinkle the baby Carrot seeds on the ground. I mixed the seeds with some dried used coffee grounds to help to get a better spread of seeds. We have planted sweet baby carrots because the children love to eat them. Grow little carrots, grow juicy and sweet. 

Planting Snow Pea and Bean Seeds.

This week we have been busy planting Snow Pea seeds and Bean seeds in TUI Seed Raising Mix. We have planted the seeds in egg carton pots so that we can then plant the little seedlings straight into the garden without disturbing the roots. Lots of children helped plant the little seeds. Grow little seeds grow. 

Owl Power!!!!

Carlos and his family gave us a gift for the garden. Carlos is leaving for school. He is the last child in the MacPherson family to attend kindergarten. Carlos has been the best garden helper for years and we will miss him and his family. Carlos gave us two shiny, silver owls with bright yellow eyes and a bell hanging from underneath the owl. These are now hanging in the vegetable garden to scare away the rascally sparrows, Billy and Bobby, who eat the young plants and the tops off the fresh baby carrots. 

Planting Lance's Apple Tree

August 15th - 

Lance's Apple Tree

Today we planted Lance's Apple tree that he gifted to kindergarten when he left for school. I had a great band of helpers: Chloe, Shyann, Jessica, Stevie Rose - GIRL POWER!!! We decide to plant the Apple tree in the garden where we have two Blueberry bushes and two Dwarf Cranberry bushes. We are going to espalier the Apple tree over the bushes. Where we dug the hole for the Apple used to be the sandpit long ago so it is very sandy. We dug out the sand and Chloe wheelbarrowed it away to the new sandpit. In one of the photos Shyann is sitting in the hole............she looked like a cute little rabbit. We planted the Apple in some TUI Garden Mix, added some worm farm compost, some Tui Potting Mix, some sheep pellets and sprinkled some TUI Slow Release plant food too. That combination hopefully will grow a nice healthy Apple tree. We can't wait to make an apple crumble with our first apples. We love apple crumble at Bayview Kindergarten. 

Feeding the Garden

Friday 17th August - Today a group of very willing garden helpers helped me in the garden by mixing together (in four wheelbarrows)  the fabulous worm farm compost from one of the boxes of our worm farm with a bag of TUI Potting Mix. When this was mixed we added it to our vegetable garden beds ready for 'spring' planting. The band of garden helpers then helped me to mix it into the existing soil in the various garden beds that we have. This should grow the best vegetables in the North Shore. :)

Parent's help to tidy the Kindergarten garden.

Several parent's have given up their precious time to weed and tidy up the kindergarten garden. Thanks to them it is now looking tidy and loved again. Thank you from all the children and the teachers. xxx

Thank you Nana for the seedlings.

THank you to Bryleigh and Maddi's granny for the seedlings for our vegetable garden. 

Recycling in the garden......planting in old nail boxes.

Today, Mikayla, Layla G, and Layla Mac, helped by filling two old nail boxes with TUI Potting Mix, then planting a Mint plant in one, and lettuce in another of the boxes. Fingers crossed that everything grows. We like to recycle and reuse where possible at Bayview Kindergarten.

TUI School Garden Challenge Design 2012

This is the plan of our garden at kindergarten.

Replanting the Strawberry Plants Day 1

On Day 1 Mac and Astin helped by taking the old strawberry plants out of the troughs and by taking off all the old leaves and excess dirt.  On Day 2 a group of children helped by replanting the strawberry plants into the troughs with nice fresh TUI strawberry mix soil.  Then they fed the plants with TUI strawberry food.  Now they're waiting to be put back onto the fence.

Those darn snails!!!!!!!

On Monday Mikayla and Elliott helped to plant out some Sugar Snap Pea seedlings into the garden. TOday, THURSDAY, when we went to check them we discovered that MR and MRS Snail had devoured the plants and just left us some skinny little stalks. We should have scattered around those special little TUI Quash Snail Lollies that are dangerous to snails but safe for children and pets. Oh well, hopefully we will learn from this and remember another time to safeguard the plants. 

Planting Sugar Snap Peas

August 6th - TOday Mikayla and Elliott helped to plant out some Sugar Snap Pea seedlings that a kindergarten Nana brought in for us. We planted them around one of the bamboo teepees. 

TUI/MEGA MITRE 10 School Garden Challenge 2012

THis year we have decided to enter the TUI/MEGA MITRE 10 School Garden Challenge again. Last year we were one of 9 finalists chosen in Auckland. We hope to do as well, or better, this year. See our letter to parents/whanau we sent out last week. Also, our planting plan, which we have begun already.