One of my favorite things about summer gardening is all of the tomatoes! Cherry, yellow, large, heirloom, purple, determinate, indeterminate, paste… the varieties seem endless and the flavors are delicious! Need some tips about harvesting and storing tomatoes? Check out this short video. Harvest Highlights: Harvest tomatoes when they start turning red (or orange or […]
Spotlight: Grant Elementary
What a crazy time to start up a schoolyard garden! Everyone has been adapting and making lifestyle changes during the coronavirus outbreak. Right before all of this, one of our schools, Grant Elementary, had just started up their schoolyard garden after a two year hiatus due to school construction and transition. In early March the […]
A Look at the Garden from an Ant’s Perspective
Summary: Today’s lesson, An Ant’s Perspective is appropriate for students of any age. Younger children will enjoy pretending to be an ant and exploring the garden, while older students will be able to think more critically about the complexity of taking on a different creature’s perspective. This activity encourages movement and is accessible for students […]
Giving Grove Curriculum
In this time of physical distancing, we hope you’ve found ways to enjoy some fresh air outside. Maybe you’ve gone for a walk, done a spring scavenger hunt or even planted a garden. For those of you working hard to teach distance learning as well as those of you supporting your kids as they adapt […]
From Greenhouse to Garden
Here at Kansas City Community Gardens our mission is to empower and inspire low-income households, community groups, and schools in the Kansas City Metropolitan area to grow their own vegetables and fruit. We absolutely could not do that without our wonderful Greenhouse Manager, Stacy. Stacy has been busy this February getting flats filled and planted […]
Awesome Arugula!
Vegetable: Arugula SYG Varieties: Astro Arugula Planting Instructions: Plant seeds ⅛ inch deep in rows across raised bed. Thin plants to stand 8-12” apart. 4×12 beds (K-12) need 2 seed packets to fill raised bed 3×9 beds (preschool) need 1 seed packet to fill raised bed Plant to Harvest Time Frame: 5 weeks Plant: mid-March to […]
What’s Eating My Plants?
Have you noticed holes in the leaves of your broccoli, cabbage, kale, and/or collard plants? Are you wondering what could be eating your veggies? The culprits are likely caterpillars! These caterpillars, also known as loopers, are big fans of vegetables in the brassica family (that includes your broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower) […]
Looking Ahead: Back to School
At KCCG, our Schoolyard Gardens team has been busy this summer! During June we worked with summer schools to plant tomatoes, peppers, and sweet potatoes. This year more than 95 schools planted a summer garden! June 1st- July 31st is also our summer garden construction project time. We use these months to help […]
Spotlight: Summer at Barstow—Farmer’s Market
Last week I had the chance to visit The Barstow School. Students attending the Summer at Barstow had the chance to participate in the Barstow Farmer’s Market class again this year. Sarah Holmes, a 7th grade science as well as AP Science teacher, and the Director of School Gardens, leads this class during the […]
Harvest Party Time!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Harvest Party Time! While planting the seeds and transplants and watching them grow is half the fun (and a worthy educational endeavor), the other half of the fun is eating all of the fresh veggies! Throughout the growing season, we recommend that schools and students taste the […]