chococlatebook's+garden+journal

__Welcome to my Garden Journal Experience!!__

Every Tuesday, my class and I went to the [|Amigos School], [|CitySprouts Garden]. We worked with two fabulous, "green-thumb" teachers, Asia and Liz. There were four groups you could be in (we changed each week). Those groups were the; Harvesters, Maintenance, "Composters", and the Biologists. If you were a Harvester, you would harvest and cook foods. If you were in the Maintenance group you would clean up the garden, by sweeping, weeding,etc. The Biologists studied plant and animal life and wrote down their notes. The Compost Group turned the compost and studied the organisms inside. They also wrote down what they saw. This is what me and my class did during the nine weeks of our garden experience!

 Here is my 1st Garden Journal!
==== On September 13th, my class went to the garden for the first time. My group and I were the biologists. We studied plant and animal life all throughout the garden.  We used our loupes (A small hand-held magnifying glass) to look at bites that bugs and other organisms had made in leaves, also we examined what we thought was a broken robin shell and some bird feathers. Our group observed and found strawberries, trees, and a bunch of vegetable and herb plants. I had a lot of fun in the CitySprouts garden during our first visit! And I learned a lot of very interesting facts and lessons. ====

====This is my Ga rden journal for my 2nd visit to the garden! ==== = During my second trip to the garden, I was in the maintenance group. We cleaned up the garden and did things for the plant life, to help them grow. The first thing we did was plant a patch of grass in a moist soil area so it could spread. = =We dug a hole for it then filled it with water. Next we placed the grass in the hole and watered it again. Our second job was to pour bug bleach on bitten plants, to keep bugs away. And lastly we broke up twigs and took off their leaves to separate them into yard waste and compost. This was a very enjoyable experience in the garden! =

Welcome to my 4th Garden Journal!
====This week, in the garden, my group were the "composters". This was my first time working as a "composter" so I was sort off excited. During this fourth week, we turned the smelly compost and looked for small organisms, such as slugs, snails, isopods, and worms. What we found were worms, isopods and one very interesting [|leopard slug]. We ate Polenta (a mix of many herbs, water, corn, and tomato etc.) that was very different and yummy. Also I will remember how smelly the assortment of decomposing organisms was when we turned it with a special compost turner/tool. These are the things I remembered during my wonderful 4th garden experience! ====

==== This time in the garden my group were the biologists. We went around the garden examining plant and animal life.  I remember that we examined many organisms and nature sights. For example, we found jagged bites on leaves, and mold and fungus on the back of leaves and trees. I also remember the soft and broken texture of the birch tree, the smell of vegetation and nature, and the sounds of small birds chirping in the distance. Lastly, a good memory is drinking warm and steamy Lemon Tea that the harvesters cooked. I loved this wonderful fifth week in the garden. I had a lot of fun. ====

 Welcome to my 7th Garden Journal!
====<span style="color: #e633e6; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> This visit to the garden my group were the composters. We were in charge of turning the compost at the bottom to the surface of the pile. First, we shoveled a bunch of loose compost on the ground into the bin. We turned this amount to mix up the decaying organisms. We repeated this cycle again and again to bring the nutrients at the bottom of the compost heap to the top and vice-versa. We found a bunch of worms (mostly small, young ones), and isopod, and a small tan colored slug. This was a very educational and fun experience during my seventh week in the garden. ====

I introduce you to my 8th Garden Journal!
==== This time in the garden my group were the Maintenance group. We continued putting the garden to sleep. We pulled out dead eggplants. To help them decompose we tore apart the leaves, and broke the thick stems into smaller pieces. Afterwards, we carried the dead plants in a wooden bin to the “composters” who turned it in to the already decomposing matter. Also, we enjoyed some delicious salad, made by the harvesters. It included mixed lettuce, garbanzo beans and a delicious salad dressing. This was a very enjoyable experience in the wonderful CitySprouts garden ====

Welcome to my last garden journal! (#9)
Sadly this is the last garden Journal I will writing. It’s about the 9th time the 6th grade visited the Amigos/CitySprouts garden. This time everybody worked to put the final touches on putting the garden to sleep. We used a different method of being put into groups. We chose a card that had a certain job on it; I got a maintenance #1 card. First we had to sprinkle soil over a garden bed to keep the soil fresh. Then we spread hay over another bed to help the still living plants and nutricent soil to stay preserved and protected. Finally, we picked baby arugula and cilantro. Then put them in a bucket so teachers and students could take them and so the plants wouldn’t go to waste. I LOVED this and the past visits to the garden and I miss them A LOT. Thank you Liz, Asia, and CitySprouts!! = =

To learn more about the Amigos School/CitySprouts Garden [|click here]