News

Spring is definitely here! Longer days and the inevitable sneezing and clouds of yellow pollen that envelop everything signal the start of the new season! Our students, however, have had spring on their minds since the beginning of the calendar year!

In January, Middle School students began learning all about starting seeds - how to read the back of a seed packet, what the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones mean, and how to plant seeds and transplant seedlings. In late January, they started all kinds of spring and summer vegetables, utilizing our indoor greenhouse, which has heat and light to encourage early germination.

As the weather warms, seeds are also started in the bigger outdoor greenhouse, and as of now, the greenhouse is bursting at the seams with seedlings. In addition to the Middle School’s plantings, Livia’s class has multiple trays of basil seedlings that they started a few weeks ago. This basil will be planted in their classroom garden before the end of the school year so it can be harvested for their fall pesto sale. Students quickly learn that gardening is nearly a year-round endeavor!

It’s not too late to start your own seeds! The risk of frost is largely past, so now’s the time to sow seeds directly in your garden or containers. Try some easy options like melons, tomatoes, and cucumbers!

In a few weeks, as part of their Outdoor Science Education curriculum, Middle School students will be gently thinning and transplanting their seedlings into bigger pots, known as pricking out and potting on in gardening terms. The final destination for these plants will be classroom gardens and a Middle School Plant Sale - a date before the end of the school year TBA! This will be an opportunity to support the Middle School microeconomy and start your family’s garden by buying some tomato, cucumber, herb, sunflower, zinnia, pepper, and melon plants.

Happy Spring!