Young Farmers of Spring Hill Elementary

Harbingers of Spring: Ruth Donohue and Alison Bauer of Spring Hill Elementary shared this with McLean Patch:

For a couple of years,  students at Spring Hill Elementary in McLean have planted gardens on school property.  This spring, the third and fourth graders will use their “raised bed outdoor classroom” to plant according to the needs of American Colonists and Ancient Egyptian, Greeks, Romans and Chinese.

Seed starting started in January in the science lab using biodegradable pots the students are making from old newspapers. As soon as the plants are ready to be transplanted outside, the raised beds will be host to colonial herbs: thyme, lavender, rosemary, basil and sage.

The fourth graders will use these herbs to brew tea and make sachets. The raised beds will also host plants found in ancient gardens: soybeans, flax, oregano, basil and onions. Third graders will use these plants to make eat like the Chinese and Greeks as well as extract flax fibers just like the Egyptians. Extra plants will be sold at the Fun Fair March 19th to fund the fall vegetable planting by the kindergarten and first graders.
 
Later in the spring the second grade will plant a Three Sisters Garden with corns, beans and squash. The Native Americans created this kind of garden based on the interdependent support these plants offer each other. The corn supports the bean vines so they can grow higher and seek more sun. The roots of bean plants produce enough nitrogen to encourage strong growth of the “heavy feeding” corn plant. And the squash leaves cover the soil under the corn and bean keeping the soil moist and discouraging weed growth. The three sisters garden will be harvested in time for a harvest celebration.
 
For more information, please contact Science Specialist  Alison.Bauer@fcps.edu