Gardening and Learning

Have you ever seen the look in a child’s eyes when she or he sees the first butterfly? I have and to me that look is the best definition of wonder and awe that I can come up with. Education should inspire similar reactions.

The pure delight of finding something you did not know before, something new. The joy of discovery when you see a butterfly emerge from a cocoon or watch bees buzzing from flower to flower on their endless journey to collect pollen for the hive.

The garden, both at home and at school, is a safe environment where children can experience discovery while learning about nature and so much else.

Reading a scene from Romeo and Juliet after watering the roses in the garden, and then talking about the uses of rose hips, could make a dynamic lesson that helps the child appreciate  Shakespeare, roses and wild food.

We learn by doing and when the teacher or instructor can couple the theoretical or the literary experience with a real-world event the lesson will take on a deeper meaning.

Math is a necessary part of gardening; read the instructions on a seed pack and then create a math problem based upon that information.

If the gardeners are growing peas and pole beans, for example, they will need to build supports which also requires math in addition to basic mechanical skills.

Biology and botany are obvious garden subjects. How does a garden grow? This is a short question but the answer introduces the student to photosynthesis, pollination and soil science, for example.

Plants have their own history and students can journey back through time by tracing how a plant came into being and explore geography when they uncover the various lands that plant may have traveled through over time.

A vital lesson is the most obvious one, where food comes from and what real food tastes like. Have you ever bitten into a just picked tomato, still warm off the vine?

The awareness that food does not originate in the grocery store nor naturally come in microwaveable boxes will change the learner’s relationship with food and those who produce it.

If your child’s school does not a learning garden think about starting one. Talk with the principal, to start.

If you have a garden at home and are not already gardening with your young ones do so, you will create memories and lessons that will last a life time.

bee and sunflower

Worm Compost

Worms ate my garbage, is what you will be able to say when you put a worm composter in your kitchen. Worm composting or vermiculture is an ideal way to dispose of kitchen vegetable matter, that you would otherwise toss in the garbage. Or if you recycle, an indoor compost box can save you a trip into your backyard on those cold winter or rainy nights.

An indoor worm composting bin will turn your kitchen scraps into odour free nutrient-rich organic material that you can use in your garden or in small amounts add now and then to your houseplants.

You can buy a ready-made composter or build one. To build your own you will need, a worm box, redworms, bedding material and kitchen scraps.

Wormbox:

You can use a wooden or plastic garbage can or storage box. Be sure to drill 3 holes (1/4”) in the bottom for drainage. As the worms eat your garbage, moisture is produced so you will need to place a container to catch this liquid, or one morning you will find an unpleasant puddle needing your attention.

This liquid is great for your houseplants so do not toss it away.

Cover the drainage holes with small rocks or gravel, about one inch of gravel at the bottom of the box will do the trick. Cover the gravel with a screen.

Moisten the bedding material. This can be shredded leaves, sawdust, newspapers or peat moss and fill the box about 2/3 full. You can add a ½ cup of finished compost to speed the process along at this point if you wish.

Now it is time to add the worms which you can order from a number of sources. Red worms are what you need not earthworms. There are a number of good online red worm suppliers out there, and if you do not want to build your own composter they can sell you worms and worm bins.

Cucumber peel, melon rinds, lettuce and coffee grounds are favourite foods.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to bury the scraps in the bedding in order to avoid attracting fruit flies.

Over time the bedding will disappear, and the box will become full of worm castings. You can harvest the casting by placing fresh bedding and fresh scraps in just one spot, and when the worms move in you can remove some of the castings, which you can then use on your houseplants or out in your garden.

Be sure to keep the worm box 2/3 full and your worms and your plants will be very happy.