If you are steeped in the world of gardening you know that the needs and benefits of our gardens continue well beyond the heat of the summer months. Therefore it is our job to spread the good news that–it’s not over yet! Not only are there still plenty of tasks to complete, but also loads of educational opportunities in a late season garden! Whether you’re a classroom teacher looking for ways to connect the garden to your fall curriculum, an after-school educator charged with managing the garden in the shoulder seasons, a community member interested in sharing your learning with neighbors, or a beginner gardener looking for tips on what’s next–this post should have something for you!
First, to be clear–there are as many opportunities for making educational connections in the garden as there are creative brains to come up with them! (Here are a few of our favorite garden education resources.) With that in mind, below we’ve laid out a few key questions you may be having at this time in the season, with tips and curricular resources to match. Please note: while a number of the following resources are designed for youth, most are equally useful for adult gardeners!
What do I need to know about safely storing & preserving our garden produce?
In communal and educational garden spaces many hands make light work when bringing in your harvest. There are basic tips you can follow to ensure that all of your hard work gets handled and stored correctly. Additionally, when bringing in plentiful produce that has a short shelf life, start with simple and safe preservation techniques to continue to enjoy your harvest.
Tips:
- This article from Kids Gardening covers both safe handling during harvest as well as how to store veggies once they’ve been harvested: https://kidsgardening.org/gardening-basics-safe-harvesting/
- These resources give valuable background for getting started with food preservation:
- The National Center for Home Food Preservation: https://nchfp.uga.edu
- Tips for keeping it simple when preserving with kids: https://kidsgardening.org/gardening-basics-preserving-school-harvest/
Curriculum:
- A lesson on harvesting produce from Grow Pittsburgh
- Put It Up! Food Preservation For Youth: https://nchfp.uga.edu/putitup.html
- A sample lesson for exploring food preservation with kids from Kids Gardening: https://kidsgardening.org/lesson-plans-food-preservation/
- A simple lesson on drying herbs from The Edible Schoolyard Project: https://edibleschoolyard.org/resource/food-preservation-drying-herbs
- A lesson on drying tomatoes and peppers from Grow Pittsburgh
- A lesson on pickling fall vegetables from Grow Pittsburgh
What are some creative ways to share our bountiful garden harvest?
Beyond preserving your plentiful harvest for later use you may also want to share the bounty–and extend learning! Neighborhood or school farmer’s markets and donation programs are just a couple of ways to promote a culture of sharing through your garden.
Tips:
- Check out an earlier Toolshed Tip: “Share the Bounty,” with ideas for setting up produce donation programs, swapping recipes, and more: https://vtgardens.org/august-toolshed-tips-for-garden-leaders-4/
- Extend student learning and start a school farmer’s market: https://kidsgardening.org/garden-how-to-school-farmers-market/
Curriculum:
- Here’s a teacher’s guide from Stamford VT Seed Savers on running a farmer’s market stand with students.
What can I do with plants in my garden that have “gone to seed”?
You may have recently returned to your garden after time away to see that your lettuce and radishes have bolted and developed a seed head. All is not lost! Some people allow this to happen for a specific purpose–seed saving! Learn how to capture and store these future plants. You may even want to set aside a part of your space next season for a seed garden.
Tips:
- Seed Savers Exchange & Community Seed Network are two excellent go-to resources for growing seed gardens and saving seeds: https://www.seedsavers.org & https://www.communityseednetwork.org
- Seed saving basics from Kids Gardening: https://kidsgardening.org/gardening-basics-saving-seeds/
Curriculum:
- Seed banks lesson from Kids Gardening: https://kidsgardening.org/lesson-plan-seed-banks/
Is there anything I can continue to grow or plant at this time in the season?
The answer is YES, but the what and when will vary based on where you are in Vermont. Find the plant hardiness zone and average frost dates for your area.
Tips:
- Videos and favorite resources from VCGN’s webinar on season extension, from Charlie Nardozzi, Change the World Kids, and Center for an Agricultural Economy: https://vtgardens.org/extending-the-season-webinar-resources/
- Fall vegetable gardening tips from UVM Extension, including a list of crops that can withstand frosts to varying degrees: https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/fallveg.html
- Extending the season tips from Kids Gardening: https://kidsgardening.org/gardening-basics-extend-the-season-with-plant-cover-ups/
Curriculum:
- A lesson on plant dormancy and planting garlic from Grow Pittsburgh
- A lesson on overwintering spinach from Grow Pittsburgh
What do I need to do to put my garden “to bed”?
Getting your garden in good shape before the winter comes will set you and your garden up for an easy and healthy start in the spring. Even these simple workday tasks are full of learning potential!
Tips
- Find tips and educational connection ideas in this article: https://kidsgardening.org/gardening-basics-put-your-school-garden-to-bed/
- Composting can be a year-round activity, but is great to focus on in the fall when you’re adding loads of decomposing material. Visit VCGN’s Community Composting page for a guide on getting started and loads of resources on setting up and running a composting project: https://vtgardens.org/garden-organizer-toolkit/communitycomposting/
- For a more basic introduction to composting, this article includes great background: https://kidsgardening.org/gardening-basics-composting/
Curriculum
- A lesson on planting cover crop from Grow Pittsburgh
- A teacher’s guide to compost activities from Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District: http://www.cvswmd.org/uploads/6/1/2/6/6126179/do_the_rot_thing_cvswmd1.pdf
- Introduce the idea of composting with decomposition observation bags: https://kidsgardening.org/lesson-plans-decomposition-observation-bags/
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