2014 Year End Part 2

Just in time for the New Year the last 6 months of Garden 118! 

I hope you all enjoy and have a safe and wonderful New Year!

I pray that next year will be full of new and exciting things!

October Class Schedule

As promised I have put together a schedule for the month of October. Now that we have established some sort of routine and can now slow down and enjoy garden classes again!

I am SO excited about this. I first have to say that I got my inspiration from an article I read in Bon Appetite magazine. Based on that article I am offering 2 hands on gardening classes and one cooking class a month.

The gardening classes are free but the cooking class is going to cost a small fee for materials and food. And mom's stay tuned for MOM's only cooking classes where we can learn a few more lunch ideas, dinner menus, and just some mom time (a fee will apply for materials and wine;)

I do have to get a little more strict with the sign ups due to space limitations. Please let me know if you will be attending any or all the classes with either an email, comment on the blog, or comment on facebook with how many are attending so I can pencil in your spot. Also payment will be due at the time of class on the cooking days or any other classes that are offered for a fee.

This round of classes are going to be super awesome!!!!

October Schedule of Classes

Tuesday October 14th from 10-11:30 will be Seed Saving - have fun collecting seeds to keep and plant in the spring!

Saturday October 25th from 10:30 - 12:00 will be our first ever COOKING CLASS! We will be making 2 variations of pizza, then we will sit down and enjoy our creations with one another! The fee for this class is $3.00 per child (adults are free) which includes food and material costs.

glass gem corn

Wednesday October 29th from 3:00 - 4:00 pm will be our first annual Halloween party!!! We will learn about pumpkins, fall planting/winter gardening. Come dressed in your costume, if you want and enjoy some tricks and treats! (donations of cookies or candy would be appreciated but are not necessary).

I can't wait to see all of you this October and don't for get to sign up for one or all of the classes!

First Day of Classes - Success!

Today was a great day for me. I conquered my fears of public speaking and had a blast doing it! It didn't hurt that I was surrounded by kids and good friends :)

I set up our front yard, the primary activity center with paints, color pages and garden themed books for the kids to enjoy while they rest of the group arrived. With the help of my daughter, she guided them to coloring and everyone got along SO well!

 After everyone arrived and we all settled down and met each other, it was time for the tour. Now this is an urban farm, not a huge 20 acre farm. We live on a third of an acre and the tour didn't last too long so that was perfect for the age group.

 When we finally made it to the chickens the kids had a blast. The chickens however, were scared to death. I think they spent the rest of the afternoon hiding in their roost.

After the chickens were put back in the run we headed off to work in the kids garden. This years garden is quite small since we still need truck access to the backyard. But it is just perfect for the 12 or so kids. We are growing one tomato, a zucchini, three peppers, 2 eggplant, and some marigolds. 

Everyone pitched in and weeded, watered, then laid straw down while I explained these steps.

After all that we headed off to paint the kids veggie patch sign. I loved the way it turned out. Originally I was going to have each child paint something, but in the end I decided to go with the hand prints with names under each one. I just have to spray paint it clear and then hang it in the kids garden!

After all that, it was finally time for snacks. I planned on handing out the basil to the parents on their way out but completely forgot, maybe next class I will remember!

I served up some delicious apples, cups of popcorn, string cheese, veggies with a choice of roasted garlic hummus or homemade ranch dressing, and cold lemonade. 

While the kids snacked everyone talked and got to know each other a bit better. I really love how this group of kids get along so well. They are all happy to learn and bright. I am SO thankful they are my first group of organic gardening students!

If you are interested in attending the Garden 118 Organic Gardening Classes please feel free to leave a comment with your email, email me, or like us on Facebook and message me for location.

Happy Growing!

Our Chickens & Early Morning Farming

For Mother's Day I requested two gifts from my kids. One was a day of no fighting or arguing and the other was chickens.

I got one at least...here is our latest addition to the farm. Three adorable RIR, Camilla, Billina, and Chicken Lickin'.

The hand painted sign by the kids. Allison spelled "chikins" by herself. I think it's pretty good for being in kindergarten.

 Here are the girls playing in the dirt. We purchased them from C Bar D. I highly recommend them. They are way out of our way, but the guys know there stuff and are very helpful and everyone is friendly. Another plus is that everything is local, including the seed we buy...LOVE IT!

Another benefit of growing up on an urban farm with a nature loving mom is early mornings in the gardens. My littlest loves playing in the dirt, planting things, and using his wheelbarrow to move stuff around the yard.

 Such a fun, hands on experience at this age. They love exploring and figuring things out and I love that he is gaining a love of nature and that working can be fun and rewarding.

Don't forget that Garden 118's Meet & Greet is coming up on June 17th between 10am - 12pm. Lots of fun things are planned:

Tour our working Urban Farm

Meet the hens

Explore the Children's Veggie Patch

Paint the official Garden 118 Children's Veggie Patch Sign

Stay for refreshments and conversation

Classes are free and snacks are provided.

I will also have handouts for up coming classes, information on local farmers markets, and sign up sheets for volunteers for snacks and drinks.

Also, if you would like to make a donation to help pay for the activity supplies please email me or message me on Facebook.

Can't wait to see you there!

Now on Facebook

Today I set up a facebook page for Garden 118!  I figured it was a great way for me to get the word out about the following:

Art work by 5 year old for our unit study on plants, identifying and collecting specimens 

I am so, SO excited to announce that I will be teaching organic gardening classes to kids between 2-6 this summer. Parents are encouraged to stick around and join in the fun and snacks and drinks will be provided.

All classes will be free of charge. We will be learning all sorts of fun things through hands on activities.

Come to all or just pick a few. It is a great way to beat the summer vacation boredom.

Please check back often for more exciting news and the see the progress at Garden 118. Please leave a comment if you have any questions regarding classes or schedules or email me!