Friday, July 12, 2013

Getting Started with Gardening!

Apologies.  It's been a while.

We have been doing a little gardening here at Bethlehem Townhouse 1.  When I say "we", I mean the kids from the Homework Club, from the Breakfast Buddies Summer program, and me.  It started in the Fall with bulbs.

As you might know, Spring bulbs are planted in the fall.   They hibernate under the ground over the course of the winter, and then grow from the bulbs and bloom in the Spring.  They do not have to be replanted each year, which means they are perennials (coming back each year without care).

Children from the Homework Club planted bulbs for plain daffodils (jonquils) and red tulips in the Fall.  In March the bulbs sprouted, and started to grow.  Below are two daffodils, and then two of the red tulips.





The children found the flowers exciting, although there was vandalism and many of the blooms were taken or removed.  Here is a pictures of one of the daffodils.







Because the children worked well with the bulbs we decided to put together a raised bed garden next to the Community Room door in the summer.  We looked for grants to pay for it, because planting a garden does cost for the wood for the raised bed, or purchased raised bed, the dirt, tools, gloves, and plants or seeds.  Unfortunately, we were not chosen, and decided to work out how to put together a Container Garden in the cheapest manner possible.

Using FreeCycle.com, an online community that puts people in contact with each other who have things to give away that they don't really need, and that others might be able to use, we received the containers and some seeds.  We would use them for the Breakfast Buddies Summer program.


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