Last year at this time I remember feeling like summer would never come to an end. This time around, the tendrils of autumn actually seem to be in reach. As a child, I was always sad when summer ended. It meant saying goodbye to camp friends, leaving the lakes and pine trees of Minnesota, and seemingly endless days of freedom. Now that I live in Arizona, the onset of fall is cause for celebration. There’s no better way to usher in the autumn months than preparing a seasonal garden.
Prepping my home garden in the past has always involved pulling a ton of weeds that have crept in over the summer. A tedious and time consuming task, to say the least. This year will be much easier, thanks to a gardening expert I consulted who suggested I cover the beds with straw for summer. Although a few palm tree seeds have sprouted up through the straw, for the most part there are no weeds! In a week or so I’ll push all the straw to the side, add worm castings to the soil, and plant my new seeds ordered from Native Seeds/SEARCH. Even though I’ve planted a garden for decades, I’m still struck with wonder each year when the tiny carrot seeds poke up through the soil.
Prepping for our Seed gardens is an exciting process as well. Fortunately, it’s been an easier process since the Seed Garden Club was formed a few years ago. A group of hardworking parent volunteers gathered in September to tidy up classroom outdoor areas, trim trees, remove weeds, and discard items no longer of use. Next Wednesday, October 1, the group will meet again starting at 2pm to replenish the topsoil in classroom gardens, in preparation for planting.
A thick package of fresh seeds currently sits on my desk, waiting to be distributed to the classrooms. Soon, tiny fingers will either glue seeds to paper towels for planting, or drop the seeds directly into the ground. Either way, the miracle of growing a garden full of food we can eat begins again. It’s such an important lesson for young children to learn, and one we’re happy to provide to our Seeds.