This Weekend - the Edible Garden Festival @ Fairchild - Fun for the Whole Family!

Click here for the event schedule:

http://www.fairchildgarden.org/Events/?date=2010-09&eventID=455

Tree-lemma Dilemma and More

As part of our plan to eradicate whitefly, the gumbo limbo and palm trees around the playground will be treated today, and the banana trees sprayed with a saltwater solution. Then we will take over their treatment using neem oil. Special thanks to Adrian Hunsberger for diagnosing the type of whitefly and to Katie Manhire for coordinating treatment, and to the ten families who agreed to adopt a banana tree! We'll meet today, Friday, at 3:15 pm.

In other garden news, Jaquelina has been planting with many classes - and many of those seeds have grown into seedlings. This week the second after-school garden class welcomed three more students and the first class is at capacity. The children are busy in the garden and the curricula will evolve as the garden evolves. Now that they have prepared the beds and started seedlings, students will transplant, weed, tend to the plants and explore the garden with Jaqui as their guide. This year we plan to teach more about seed saving, through which children will come to understand the lifecycle and reproduction cycle of plants.

In yet more news, we were happy to welcome Roger Horne back to the garden last week. He brought heirloom squash for the kids to plant, and tended to the mulberry, cherry and guava trees his organization donated to the school last year. The kids loved working with Roger again. Thanks, Roger!

Please visit the garden for a sneak peek of what's to bloom. Good things are happening in the garden.

Calling All Families!

The Smoothie Garden needs YOUR help. We’ve met our opponent and its name is whitefly. We’ve sprayed the trees and cut them back, but they need more attention than we and our gardener can give. Since we’re using an organic solution, it will take diligence to rid the garden of this pest. We’re asking you and your family to ADOPT a banana tree. Taking care of your tree will involve watering and spraying the leaves and trunk each week. We’ll provide the sprayers and soap. Four of the trees have new flowers and fruit, but it will take some effort to save them. Please let us know if you have room in your family for a tree! Thank you!