Seedlings, Sun and Summer Gardens

June has come to a close and though we continue to provide garden programming for ViVe Wellness and Sewall Child Development Center throughout the summer our main focus is tending to the gardens that students helped us plant! Being able to participate in experiential learning allows our students to feel a deeper connection to their school garden, solidify the information they are learning by activating both sides of their brain and gives them another thing to look forward to when they come back to school in the fall.

Swiss chard, collards and kale from West High School's garden

Garlic scapes

Pepper seedling beginning to fruit

Strawberries from UPark Elementary

Leafy green and peas establishing in the garden

A healthy bunch of radishes

It's common for students to take us by the hand and to show us the seedling they planted. Their delight in seeing a thriving and abundant garden always makes the long summer hours in high heat worth it. We are exceptionally excited for our harvests this year. With more than 5,500 seedlings donated from City Floral we were able to give our gardens a jump start. We have never had that many seedlings and are abundantly grateful to City Floral for their generosity. Our school gardens have never been planted out as quickly as they have this year. While we still are seeding heavily, succession planting style, our gardens are becoming established. Thus far in the season we have already harvested 387 pounds of food and given it back to the community through food pantries and Huerta Urbana. We are excited for what July will bring!