Springing into Action: Gardening Fun in the Sun

Could this Spring be any more pleasant?

While the lack of rain may be making our gardens thirsty, the dry and sunny weather has made for some warm and wonderful work-days in the Longfellow Learning Garden.

In just the past week, kindergarden classes have planted peas and radishes, while the Magnolia tree and the tulips are beginning to bloom.
 

On Sunday, a number of intrepid garden volunteers helped out with the Spring Work Day, getting things ready for the busy planting season. In between sips of hot chocolate and fresh doughnuts, our gardeners -- novice and experienced, young and old -- removed weeds, pruned bushes, raked debris, watered seeds, and prepared the soil for the "Three Sisters" garden.

If you don't know, the Three Sisters garden is named after a Native American legend that claims corn, beans, and squash are three inseparable sisters who only grow and thrive together. But the myth is based on a sustainable growing reality.

According to Renee's Garden website,

"Corn provides a natural pole for bean vines to climb. Beans fix nitrogen on their roots, improving the overall fertility of the plot by providing nitrogen to the following years corn. Shallow-rooted squash vines become a living mulch, shading emerging weeds and preventing soil moisture from evaporating, thereby improving the overall crops chances of survival in dry years. Spiny squash plants also help discourage predators from approaching the corn and beans. The large amount of crop residue from this planting combination can be incorporated back into the soil at the end of the season, to build up the organic matter and improve its structure."