The Gardening Club Harvest is well under way but it has
taken a lot of hard work and waiting to get there.
In February we planted sweet pea and sunflower seeds in pots.
In March we
chitted and planted potatoes in bags.
We pruned
the fruit trees in the orchard and put some fertiliser around the roots.
We planted
some bare root hedging near the car park.
We pruned the rose at the main entrance.
We cleared the raised beds, weeded and hoed the soil
In April we
sowed carrots, turnip, lettuce, radish and carrots in the raised beds as well
as planting out the sweet pea and sunflower seedlings – that was after we had
weeded and hoed the soil in the beds.
We also
watered the seedlings.
We planted
pea seeds and bean seeds in pots.
We planted
potatoes outside.
In May we
cut down the daffodils at the Main Entrance, pulled out the wallflowers and
planted begonias.
We put up
nets for the peas and beans.
We watered
and weeded as well as planting out cabbages and brussel sprout plants.
We planted leek plants in tubes to make longer white bits
and to protect the plants. It also allows the water and fertiliser to get right
to the plant.
In June we
planted out the peas and beans.
We cut down
the daffodils in the raised beds and planted geraniums.
We tied up
the sunflowers and made sure the sweet peas were clinging on to the net using
their tendrils.
We picked
the first radish and lettuce and sowed some more.
We lifted
the potatoes in the bags for a competition, washed them and weighed them and took
them home to eat.
We got our
first look at the polytunnel and planted tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and
peppers. We had to water them often.
In the
summer holidays the gardening grannies and grandpas watered the raised beds,
and looked after the plants in the polytunnel, feeding them every week and
watering every day (it was very hot!) as well as opening the doors each morning
and closing them each evening.
In August we
harvested lots of tomatoes and cucumbers and courgettes from the polytunnel and
learned how to look after the tomato plants.
We took the
dead heads off the sweet peas and tied up the sunflowers again.
We took home
some cabbage, turnips, lettuce, peas and beans, radish and rhubarb.
We took
sweet peas into all the P6 classrooms every week.
We got a few
strawberries to eat and also some raspberries.
In September
we got more tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes. We finished off the peas and
beans and harvested the apples (and a few plums). We think the birds were very
partial to the cherries since there were none left.
We lifted
the first of the carrots and took more cabbage and lettuce and radish home as
well.
We gave Mrs
Murray and Mrs McPherson some sweet peas.
We are
making new strawberry plants by pinning down the “runners” in pots with a
hairpin.
In October
we lifted the rest of the potatoes. We are leaving the leeks till we have time
to make leek and potato soup. And we will leave the sprouts till we can fry
them with some butter and bacon.
We are
clearing up the sweet pea stalks and drying the sunflower seeds to sell at the
Christmas Fair and throughout the village.
We are
making sure that the rest of the beds are clear of plants for the winter and
will soon be planting bulbs to make a nice display in the spring.
We have done
lots more but all of this shows what hard work it is to grow our food – but it
is worth the effort and the wait because it is delicious to eat. And we have
enjoyed sharing with our class and our teachers and families.
