Resources for School Gardens

Healthy Eating Makes the Grade ~ a Thunder Bay initiative

"The Healthy Eating Makes the Grade project involves a variety of sectors interested in improving student nutrition, from youth themselves to school staff, food producers and suppliers, and community organizations concerned about healthy eating. These partners have joined forces to increase support for school gardens, more healthy choices within and close to schools, and youth-led initiatives to encourage healthy eating."

For more on this project: 

Thunder Bay District Health Unit - Rescources

and HEMG on wiki

Three great teacher resources from wintergreenstudios.com: Three Sisters Gardens, Victory Gardens, and Spaghetti Gardens

From organicschools.com.au: everything from nutrition and germination to worm farming to seed saving and taking cuttings

Canadian Wildlife Foundation ~ Wild About Gardening

TD Friends of the Environment Foundation provides funding for environment and wildlife initiatives in schools across Canada such as compost programs, tree planting initiatives, school gardens, education programs for children, urban renewal projects, wildlife rehabilitation, and environmental clean-ups.

Wild Edible Plants of Northern Ontario

John Davis Explorer Rose

John Davis Explorer Rose
7 July 2011

John Davis the first
my garden 2005

A John Davis Explorer Rose is the first rose I added to my first garden, where he lived happily for seven years (or more?). With me through it all... even tolerating three homes in three years, he survived to live in our garden here for one year...
until last spring, when we decided it was time to say good-bye. "Replaced" just doesn't sound like a nice word here, but that's exactly what happened: John Davis the first was replaced with John Davis the second.

With his clusters of pretty pink he was a favourite of Hannah's when she was younger (when everything had to be pink). I love how the blooms start out a deep shade of pink (in some years John Davis the first appeared almost red) then open up to such a soft pink, showing the yellow stamen inside. It's a delicate flower, and reminds me of a cross between an old fashioned rose and wild dog roses (Rosa canina).

 John Davis the second, in our garden July 2011:

A rambler, being known to reach seven or eight feet, John Davis can be taught to climb. Our John Davis, here in his second year, is doing well nearly reaching the top of the five foot trellis. I'm allowing him to spread out a little along the way, while assisting some stems to wrap themselves around the trellis.
He lives in the corner of our kitchen garden, nearest to the back door, attracting bees, and caring for the garlic below.

John Davis the second
in his second year
6 July 2011

John Davis Explorer Rose from Vesey's

Purple Dragons, Waxing Moons

our vegetable garden, 13 June 2011

waxing gibbous 97% of full, 13 June 2011

Euan`s Tree Farm

Euan's Tree Farm
St John Street Beautification Project

World Food Day 2008

World Food Day 2008
Lakehead University Agora

World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Roots to Harvest, along with the Food Security Research Network, Advanced Institute for Globalization & Culture, Food Action Network, and LUSU hosted World Food Day today in the Agora.
The Boreal Edge Farm, Belluz Farm, Jeff's wheat mill and Brule Creek Farm, Seeds of Diversity, the Good Food Box, were among the many display booths; and Dr. Mustafa Koc co-founder of the Centre for Studies in Food Security visited Lakehead as keynote speaker.

LUCK Garden

a young tomato plant in my office: planted & grown by Euan Pound (age 5)
and given to me :D

I've been thinking about having some giant letter shaped raised beds constructed for the children's garden. I've seen this sort of thing in children's gardens (giant A B C raised beds / planters) - perhaps a large L and a U. How about a C for Campus and K for Kids, spelling LUCK? Lakehead University Campus Kids garden. :)
...or maybe just an L and a U...*shrug*, who knows...

• 
  
  native plants
  
  
  
• 
  
  sustainable water catchment systems
  
  
  
• 
  
  an ethnobotanical First Nations garden
  
  
  
• 
  
  a butterfly and bird habitat garden (in the surrounding area & greenspace)
  
  
  
• 
  
  children's art (painted benches and garden seats, watering cans, poles and structures for fun climbing plant projects)
  
  
  

varieties to consider planting with children:
~ Genovese Basil: as an example of an organic pest deterrent
~ Royal Burgundy Bush and Pole Beans: the purple beans that change from purple to green when cooked, and purple potatoes (Russian Blue)
~ Chioggia Beets: mild white and red striped beets
~ Tomatoes: Yellow pears, green striped Zebras, Paul Robesons, Amish Paste, German Giants, and Grape

• Edible flowers such as Nasturtium, viola, chives and other cooking herbs.
• Big seeds for little hands such as corn, beans, sunflowers; fast producers including radish, beets, lettuces, thumblina carrots; and instant gratifiers such as cucumbers, edible-podded peas and beans that can be eaten in the garden.
• Alphabet gardens - to help children remember the common names of flowers.
• Other theme garden ideas: a pizza wheel, and a salsa garden.

Eating the Alaphabet
by Lois Ehlert
978-0152010362
(see also: Growing Vegeltable Soup )







I Eat Vegetables
by Hannah Tofts
978-1840890280








I will not ever NEVER eat a tomato
(in pop-up!)
by Lauren Child
978-0763637088

Tree Resources for Kids

For Kids (and teachers) from TreeCanada.ca

Teaching Older Children and Youth about Trees

Greening Canada's School Grounds (a Tree Canada Foundation publication)