Teacher Appreciation WeekRegina did an activity where she handed out different fruits and vegetables to the kids and asked them to place them in the proper category. Then they had a discussion on what makes a fruit a fruit and a vegetable a vegetable. Once they determined a fruit has seeds and comes from the flowering part of a plant, they were able to move their fruit or vegetable into the right category.
The GardensThe kids learned how to thin out their vegetable garden plots.
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Growing from grocery store produceHave you ever wondered if you can grow plants from the produce you get from the grocery store. Lee Kraft, Tina's sister, was visiting us this week and she told us a story about how her son, Adam, wanted to know just that when he was four, so they planted a lemon seed. When Adam was an undergraduate at MIT, his lemon tree bore its first lemon and she made a lemon meringue pie out of it. Currently Adam is getting his PhD from MIT and the lemon tree is producing about 10 lemons a year. Now we know that indeed you can grow plants from the produce you get from the grocery store, but you need to be very patient if you want to eat the fruit. Note: if you decide to try this at home, you should purchase domestic fruits, as many imported fruits are irradiated.
Conveniently, the Garden Club snacks included oranges, tangerines, and apples. The kids harvested the seeds as they ate. We decided we would take the seed coats off of some of the oranges and keep some on to see which would germinate faster. We put the seeds in wet paper towels and then placed them inside baggies. Once the seeds germinate, we will plant them. We are also trying to grow avocados, celery, and green scallions. Coming UpWe will learn how to identify different trees.
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Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is located in Mineral Virginia and emphasize plant varieties that perform well in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. They do extensive germination and purity testing to ensure they always provide the highest quality possible. As part of their mission, they promote seed saving and traditional plant breeding.
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Vegetable gardening is a fun and rewarding way to learn about nature and healthy food. That's why we Bonnie Plants started the Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program. Through the program, millions of students have learned about gardening.
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