Summer Gardening: Week 4

For our fourth and final week of summer gardening, students enjoyed art in the garden. Students were busy painting stepping stones and bird houses to help give the garden some unique Vestal personality. The bird houses also help to encourage more birds, insects and other critters to utilize the garden as their home. We were able to use plants from the garden as art supplies. Students learned about how plants can be used to make natural dyes. We collected brightly colored flowers and leaves and pounded them onto white cloth. The pigments from the plants stained the cloth, creating beautifully colored wash clothes.

During our snack time with OSU Nutrition Extension, students prepared an Asian Chicken Salad, using fresh lettuce from the garden and a variety of other vegetables including green onions, carrots, and cilantro.

Thanks to all who participated in summer gardening! Summer gardening at the Vestal Community Garden was a huge success and we are sad that the four weeks are up. Students learned about gardening, soil and compost, worms and insects, and art in the garden. They also harvested and tasted many new fresh vegetables and were able to take home bags of fresh veggies to share with family and friends. Now we are looking forward to the start of the school year in September, when all Vestal students will be back in the garden.