The Gardening Club members took all the seeds out of the dried sunflowers, cleaned them up and packed them in envelopes with special labels to sell at the Christmas Fayre and elsewhere. These will raise funds for next year's club. We packed over 230 envelopes with at least 12 seeds in each!
The Gardening Club members had a plant search and found out lots of interesting things about trees and shrubs in their local environment.
Today the Gardening Club members started to make rowan and apple jelly. They put all the rowans, stalks and all, along with chopped up apples into water and boiled till the fruit went pulpy.
Then they strained it through a ‘jeelie’ bag overnight. They had to build
a wee castle of books to get the stick high enough so the bag didn't dip into
the strained juice. The next morning they added sugar and boiled it till it
set. Then they poured it into jars with their own design of label.
The grown ups took the sunflower heads and tied them up to dry in the
polytunnel and picked lots of tomatoes which they took home.
The potatoes are still drying off in the polytunnel ready for making soup in
January.
The Gardening Club members picked lots of beans, tidied up some of the raised beds, brought the strawberry runners which had rooted into the polytunnel and picked more raspberries. They got to take beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and cabbage home to share and enjoy.
The
Gardening Club members made their second batch of jelly this term.
A few weeks ago they made blackcurrant jelly, which was just delicious on
toast! Today they made apple and Rowan berry jelly.
What a sweet treat, with all fruits grown in our school grounds.
A huge thank you to Mrs Morrison for sharing her jelly making talents.
On Thursday we were very busy despite the heat. As well as lifting, washing, drying and weighing the potatoes, there was a lot of watering done. We finished planting out the leeks and beetroot seedlings and some runner beans; and we weeded a couple of beds too!
Our Eco representatives helped to move soil from our old raised beds to our newly situated larger raised beds down beside the poly tunnel. Meanwhile another team of diggers filled up the new beds with top soil. What a job!
Last Thursday the Gardening Club members planted up the round bed at the front of the school and other planting area there.
They also planted leeks, beetroot seedlings, sowed turnip seeds , planted out
french beans and watered liberally.
All of the plants are extra thirsty, with all of this dry weather!
Primary 5 pupils helped the Gardening Club to move two tonnes of top soil into the brand new raised beds. It was a hot day and they were treated to an ice lolly to cool down. Great team work!
Today we broke up a very big stone and lifted barrowloads of smaller stones where the new raised beds will be. Lots of muscle needed!
Then we potted up cucumbers and tomatoes, and more seedlings of flowers and vegetables. We prepared the bed for the sunflowers and sweetpeas to grow. Next we weeded the beds at the front of the school, as well as putting two new plants in the "rockery" and planting Bergenia (elephant's ear). Phew!
What a busy day! The children tied in raspberry and brambles, cleared up a strawberry bed and planted out new plants we grew on from last year's runners. We planted a few saplings left over from last year too. We potted on lots of lettuce and alyssum as well as planting tomatoes, peppers and courgettes. The potatoes are looking good as well, with peas and broad beans ready for planting out.
