Two posts in one! Garden/Kids

Stir fry mix bouquet

Garden Update: After most of the lettuce and stir fry mix went to seed, I used the flowers in a bouquet. Then I pulled everything out. :) Some of the lettuce in the barrels had trouble with root rot. I wasn't watering but between the rain and too few holes in the bottom the soil was staying too wet. The peas were long gone.

The remains of the vines and my "water catchment system" ;) I used it to water and dumped the remains as I had my own mosquito farm starting.

I supplemented for a phosphorus deficiency since the vines looked like the pictures I found online. The symptoms however read like a nitrogen deficiency. I supplemented that and kept the tops of two vines alive (life support). But they succumbed as well. Not sure what went wrong. And yes, I was careful not to overdo the supplements.

Composted rabbit manure and a couple worms from home.

I'm guessing my understanding of the nitrogen cycle is lacking, the heavy rain and the plants being pot bound all contributed. I'm just not sure why it started in the big pots and then affected the smaller ones... More research! All this to say, my beds are basically barren. I've planted seeds but nothing is up yet.

This bed has some swiss chard coming up.

This one has a couple surviving lettuce plants and has been planted with more.

Special Mint

One of my friends D. likes to garden and has her yard on campus done up as a kitchen garden.

I offered her some of my seeds and she brought me mint that she brought back from France. It traveled to two of my classes which sparked a lot of conversations. Most people thought it was a strawberry plant. As we were talking about gardens, my professor, Dr. W., got really excited as he's just starting one so I brought him some seeds and we've been sharing garden ideas and recipes.

The mint was in partial shade so finding a spot on my south (slightly east facing) balcony was a challenge. It's pretty happy here on the back side of the tub so it only gets morning sun.

Post Two:

Kids are awesome.

I've been working with a class of second graders twice a week for about 5 weeks now. Last semester I was at the same school working with 4th graders. I've encountered a couple of the kids outside of class or school and they've come up and given me hugs! Sweet, but worrisome since their parents don't know me!


April 1st.
B.: "Your hair is pretty"
Me: "Thanks"
B.: "April Fools!" :D He got me good!

During a flower dissection, A.: "I want to be a garden scientist!" Me: "Someone who studies plants is a botanist. Someone who is a garden scientist is a horticulturist." A. "Well, I want to study plant disease." Me: "Well, in that case you would be a plant pathologist." I love it when kids get excited about learning.

I worked with the reading groups today. Our class has about 28 kids in it. During the standardized test preparation, we bump up to about 30. We break into 3 groups based on proficiency levels so the two groups that I had contained 11-12 kids. I'm basically handed the material and I get to go for it.

D. and Y. are the two that worry me. D. is adorable but he's not "present". He's in his own little world and nothing seems to motivate him or excite him. He's been tested for learning disabilities and will be getting some additional help. Y., on the other hand, gets super excited, bounces around and blurts out answers. He's incredibly smart. He seems to pick up concepts quickly and is able to apply them outside of the context in which they are given. He's just one of those kids that I would hate to see crushed because of his behavior.