Summer Season is sparkling!

Yesterday marked the first week of Graze the Roof and the FYCC's summer season in the garden.
With the first and second graders, we spent the morning discussing Garden Agreements, agreements that will help us have fun, stay safe and learn a lot all summer long! The students presented the agreements they came up with in their small groups and we created one big poster that everyone signed that is hanging at the entrance to the garden. We wrapped up our session reading a story about a Community Garden located in San Francisco and talked about all of the tasks, creatures, and yummy plants associated with community gardening.

The Kinder class is back! A group of curious, and imaginative Kinders came to the garden just as the sun was warming the rooftop, we made our agreements around the picnic table and then started exploring. It had been awhile since these children had been on the roof and there was a lot to observe. The new vermi-composting system (worm bin) was an exciting discovery. Lizette giggled as the worms danced on her palm and Ashley piled 55 worms in her hand and then shared them with the rest of the group! We tasted flowers and looked at the baby carrots.

A busy workday of planting succulents in burlap pockets along the fenceline, painting signs, planting flowers, turning the compost, and feeding the trees.

We had a visit from Jane Kim the district representative and a visit from our Integrated Pest Management expert in preparation for a workshop on the topic on June 25th, (rsvp: grazetheroof@gmail.com).

In the afternoon, I met the group of teens in the Teen Program and we began, "The Taste of Place," an 8-week series bringing the world of cooking and gardening together. After journaling and a rich discussion of food culture and tradition, went up to the roof to meet the garden. We took a great tour, coinciding with Paul Koski, (the beekeeper)'s weekly visit to the hive. The students asked great questions, we laughed together and got to witness thousands of bees dance in and out of the hive. We wrapped up our session with weeding, watering and harvesting, celebrating the day with big fresh salad of lettuce, mustard greens, sugar snap peas, purple carrots, and nasturium flowers. Yum!

What a day!
I love summer!