Maria Hastings Educational Garden
June, 2000
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Maria Hastings Educational Garden
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Last year, as part of the Maria Hastings Educational Garden, the students planted a traditional Native American "Three Sisters Garden". A Three Sisters Garden consists of three plants that help each other grow. They are beans (which are legumes and nourish the soil by adding back nitrogen), corn (tall and strong enough to support bean vines), and squash (low and spreading, retaining moisture and keeping out weeds). Here, students are observing Anasazi Blue Corn and mini pumpkins, which are part of last year's harvest from the Three Sisters Garden. The students are saving the seeds to complete the important circle of renewal- returning their seeds to the earth to grow this year's crops. |
| Here the children are collecting the seeds for planting, scraping the corn kernels from the cob with a clamshell, just as coastal people would have done several hundred years ago. |
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These children are returning the seeds of Sister Corn to the soil. Come back soon to see the corn growing tall! |
| Examining young Apache Dipper Gourd plant in the Native American Garden. |
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The children have established a compost pile nearby the garden, and check the temperature regularly. Some students bring in kitchen waste from home to add to the pile. |
| Wow, it's 146 degrees! That means it's working... |  |
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The students find that by June 1st, the winter wheat that was planted last September stands over three feet tall from the soil line. |
| In many parts of the world, rice is grown by terracing the land so that water can be retained to permit flooding. Here, the students are creating a simulated rice paddy of their own in a plastic tub. | . |
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Readying the mud for transplanting our rice seedlings. |
| This tree seedling nursery was planted by first and fifth grade students working together. It is located in the sheltered courtyard behind the school. |
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Garden Update: Early Summer Back to main Educational Garden page We welcome your suggestions! e-mail the Hastings Web Masters Last update: 11-24-00/mgl |