Monthly Seasonal Gardening: Agriculture Science and Garden Tips

This is a fun way to visit a community garden area virtual and LIVE with me, well, "live to tape" for students to watch at a time that works for their school schedule.  

I am enthusiastic and always love digging in and getting dirty.  What the students will see in the FLEX videos is what is really happening in my garden plot.  Students will quickly become members of the community garden and explore what is growing that day and take a look at the daily work that is needed to maintain a garden. I will demonstrate hands-on during the class and share tips for gardening at home.

Every visit is different so every class will be different depending on what is growing.  We may need to water, weed, plant seeds, harvest fruits and vegetables or even figure out what is eating my plants.  In addition to the weekly "live to tape" check in and tour of the garden plot and garden work, I will walk around the community garden to share what else is growing at the time.  There are themed areas in the garden, including butterfly gardens, herb gardens and a chicken area with live chickens.  This is a fun hands-on class to really dig in and get an up-close look at working in a garden!  

Students will be able to ask questions, help solve garden issues, identify plants and even help decide what we should plant if it's that time of the season.  Students will also learn what it means to be part of a community garden!  This is a real garden with real plants and real obstacles so each live class from the community garden will be different but definitely FUN! 

Topics that will be covered depending on the season of the FLEX class:
- Planting seasonal crops
- Harvesting seasonal crops
- Preparing and amending soil
- Crop rotation
- Setting up garden goals and planning a seasonal garden timeline
- Garden care
- Investigating good and bad bugs
- Preparing a recipe from garden crops
- Seed saving
- Garden tool safety and use
- Responding to changes in weather
- Plant identification
- Watering with irrigation system
- Trellising
- Strategies for maintaining seasonal gardens
- Companion planting
- Weed Identification

Important Disclaimer:
When dealing with Mother Nature, sometimes things happen that are out of a gardeners control. It's very possible that any number of things will affect the growth of seasonal crops and we will learn together as we grow.  I ask students to work on ideas to help my garden grow or even try growing their own seasonal crops.

The nature of a FLEX class is that you are able to watch the posted videos when it works with your schedule.  I am available via the classroom board.  The board will be a great way for us to work together to solve garden problems, decide what should be planted or share what is happening in our own gardens.  I am available to answer students questions or discuss their comments and will answer within 24 hours, but usually sooner.

Why a flex class? 
* Flexible schedule classes are wonderful for families who have busy schedules or are sometimes unable to commit to a certain day or time. 
* Learners from all time zones may participate 
* If any questions arise, the instructor is just an email away. 

Flexible Schedule Interactions between teacher and students:

Each week in addition to the posted video and instructions, I will offer optional live check-in meetings that change each week depending on schedules.  These 5 to 10-minute live check-ins are a great way to have live interaction and help answer any questions or brainstorm garden ideas halfway through.  It also will give this flexible class a little more live interaction if students request it.  

I am active on the classroom board and can help or answer questions anytime during the week, and usually within 24 hours.  All of this communication interaction is coordinated through the Outschool virtual classroom.    

Students will also interact with each other and myself by posting in the discussion boards and sharing pictures and videos of their own gardens or garden projects.   Feedback (and if requested, grades) will be given for all submitted items.