Students learn vertical gardening at Sycamore Elementary in Danville, California
Planting the Living Wall: What a fun time the 5th grade gardeners and I had this week planting this vertical garden of live color outside the Multipurpose Room on the Sycamore Valley Elementary school campus.
wrapping up pansy roots with a black, felt "diaper"
The smiles on the kids faces were priceless as they wrapped up their pansies and climbing jenny into these black felt squares that we laughingly called “black diapers.”
plants "diapered" and ready to plant
The felt holds the roots securely together and holds in moisture when the plant is tucked into it’s pouch on the vertical wall.
The kids tucked their plants into the 48 felt pouches on the wall and learned how to water them with hose using the “shower” setting on the nozzle. Each pouch needs a drink to the count of three. All members of the club will take turns watering the living wall as well as the Earthboxes according to a schedule set up by Mrs. Lawrence, our 4-5th grade science teacher and my partner on this wonderful project.
School garden outside MPR
As we hung the living wall units, we realized we can also water the Earthboxes with the water that drips out of the bottom row of pouches. This is an excellent lesson of water conservation which Mrs. Lawrence and I will discuss next week!
Along with planting our vertical garden, the kids also fed the worms in the Worm Cafe with their apple cores and banana peels from lunch and checked on their radishes and spinach growing in the Earthboxes.
The green radish tops are in full view, but the spinach is not quite as far along. Just a few sprigs of green have poked their heads through the soil so far.
A big shout out to Plants On Walls in San Francisco for their generous support with our Living Wall project.
Hi PlantsOnWalls;
I am following up on my promise to give a shout out to PlantsOnWalls on my blog for your help with starting our school garden at Sycamore Elementary in Danville. Check it out.
www.vitalandwell.com/blog
It was a very successful 7 week program that will repeat in the spring. The kids had a great time learning and the parents, teachers and principals love the beautiful living art of plants on the wall outside the multi-purpose room.
Please feel free to link our blog to yours or make mention of it on your website on how our Elementary School is using your products. I am happy to be a reference to any callers you get on how we implemented the living wall at our school.
- Best wishes, Angela Stanford