Gardening club to a close...

Hi, it's Issano, Lisa, Alex and Roberto. We're all upset that the club is ending but excited about new clubs! This is possibly the last blog from the guardians of the garden. We don't get to see the new flowers bloom, BUT WE WILL SURVIVE, for now...So were signing off! Until Spring!!!        

LAST GARDENING CLUB GATHERING...Until April??

The 4th grade is sad to say goodbye to the Gardening Club, but excited for new clubs to begin!

We look forward to seeing the beautiful flowers come April...

"The overall experience was excellent!"- Giovanni

"This was the best club ever!"- Richard

We completed our brochures and PowerPoints...just ask and we'll share...

Richard

Jahnelle

Lamont

Jessica

Giovanni

Carlo

Derek

Colby

Brochure Time

Hi! It's Alex and Roberto here... We can't go outside yet. The garden is covered in snow and ice.  But luckily we're nice and toasty inside our school. Were making brochures about gardening.  This is our last week to finish our brochure. We both wish that this was not our last week.  Both of us would love to be out in the garden instead of being cooped up inside.
Take a look at a piece of our brochure, which also includes a map, and how to plant for crocuses, tulips and daffodils.
Here are the reflections we included in ours...

The gardening club was probably my favorite club in my years at P.S. 163. My favorite part of being part of the gardening club is that we were outside digging, planting, and growing. I also liked that I could be with my friends.

-Alex

I liked being with my friends and planting flowers. I think the gardening club is my favorite club. My favorite part of gardening is raking.

- Roberto 

Stop by P.S. 163...You may be able to catch our brochures on display.

too cold for comfort.....

It's Pedro, Rhys, and Alex here from gardening163!

It's getting cold out and gardening has to be postponed.    

Snow is overtaking the garden and everything in it. Luckily, this means that the squirrels are in hibernation and they can't take advantage of the garden while we we aren't attending to it. But when spring comes, gardening163 will be back in business!

In spring, expect to see tulip's, crocus's, and daffodil's.

Squirrel-Friend or Foe?

The good news-The Gardening Gurus have completely transformed this space.  The number of bulbs in the ground has increased and the leaves have been managed!  Happy to report that there are only four beds that are empty.  This will be completed by the 4th grade gurus this coming week. 

Spring will bring us tulips, crocuses and daffodils.  HOPEFULLY!

The bad news-The population of squirrels in the garden has also increased.  On few occasions, I walked through the garden and spoke with some of our new friends as they congregated on tree branches and the bricks lining the garden...It was very Snow White-and I'd chuckle at this new image of myself...

But now...not the case at all.  I have been noticing some holes.  This can only mean one thing.  Winter is coming and the squirrels are getting ready.  They are happy and the Gardening Gurus are not so happy! Where are the dwarfs when you need them? 

Please let us know your thoughts and help us get these little guys under control!  

To be continued...

The GOOD, The BAD and The UH-OH!

The word of the day was teamwork. All gardeners partnered up and took on a variety of tasks.  Richard, Giovanni and Simon raked leaves in the back of the garden.  Angus and Colby dug a big hole for three daisy plants. Lamont, Jessica, Carlo and Jahnelle removed rocks and leaves from between the beds and covered the area with mulch.

That was the good!

Squirrels love to kick their heels up in the mulch.  I visited the garden three times today and it looked like a mulch fiesta!

That was the bad!

As for the UH-OH-----Don't swing your rake into a wire fence.  It will get stuck and it will take someone big and strong to unstuck it!  No names are mentioned here to protect those who claimed to be innocent!

Over the weekend, I purchased crocus bulbs and picked up daffodil bulbs from Union Square.  The daffodil bulbs were free as part of an initiative to beautify NYC.  This project is also a living memorial for 9/11.  There will be 300 of them popping up in the Spring.
To learn more about this project,  check out the website below...
http://www.ny4p.org/

Stay tuned for more!  Please post comments or questions...

Gardening is the best thing in the world! (Christian)

The overall consensus is that this club can't be beat. Pedro hit the leaf jackpot in the back corner of the garden and went to  town with his team.  Some worked hard raking the last of the leaves and others planted over 30 tulip bulbs using the fancy bulb planter that my Mom gave us.  

It sure made the job easier for measuring 5 inches into the ground for each bulb.  

The Gardening Club is now having a bed raffle throughout the grades.  

B.Y.O.B.=Bring Your Own Bulbs...the winning classes will have to purchase their own bulbs for the bed that they win.

Keep you posted on the results!