Educational and Schoolyard Gardening: including pond aquatic ecosystems, Texas Native Inspired Gardens, Hugelkultur Garden Beds, Berms and Swales, Rain Gardens, Chickens, Goats, Ducks, and Sheep, Greenhouse Horticulture , Monarch Waystations, NWF Schoolyard Habitats, NWF Green Flag Schools, Environmentally themed Murals, Native Plants, Adapted Plants and Food Gardens
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Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Outdoor Furniture, Tile, and Masonry Projects Added To Plant Sale
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Spring 2011 Plant Sale with Updated List
In addition to those in the previous posting:
1-5 gallons
Flameleaf Sumac
Red Buckeye
White Buckeye
Live Oak
Desert Willow
Elbowbush
Yaupon Holly
Chili Pequin
Apache Plume
Tropical Milkweed
Turk's Cap
Damianita
Feathergrass
Red Columbine
Missouri Violet
Spiderwort
Fall Aster
Inland Seaoats
4"
Coneflower
Gregg's Mistflower
Blackfoot Daisy
Big Mulhy
Rock Penstemon
Texas Betony
Gregg's Dalea
Black Dalea
Flame Acanthus
Spotted Spiderwort
Mountain Sage
White Avens
From Medina Garden Nursery
Bushy Blue Sage
Golden Grondsel
White Buckeye
Red Yucca
Prairie Phlox
Texas White Honeysuckle
Nolina Texana
Friday, March 25, 2011
More Info about Spring Plant Sale
Some of the plants we will be offering:
Trees 1, 2, 5 gallon
Mt. Laurel
Roughleaf Dogwood
Escarpment Black Cherry
Goldeball Leadtree
Lacey Oak
Monterey Oak
Chinqapin Oak
Lacebark Elm
Evergreen Sumac
Pinon Pine
Baldcypress
Blanco Crabapple
One Gallon
Gulf Mulhy
Crossvine
Trumpet Vine
Zexmenia
Lantana (Dallas Red)
Gulf coast penstemon
Prairie verbena
Verbena rigida
Calylophus
2 gallon
Bear Grass
Sotol
4" pots
Heartleaf Skullcap
Inland Seaoats
Fall Obedient plant
More to follow
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Nature Journaling: Honing Observation Skills
Observation is a vital skill that is useful in any profession.
Students had the following guidelines: Sit on the ground in front of a natural object at least one body length apart from any classmate, Look straight ahead. The area from the ground to the top of your head and from one shoulder to the other is your "view window." Draw a large rectangle on your paper. Inside that box draw what you see. Draw a smaller square. Pick an object from inside your "view window" to draw. Write observations around the boxes. Reserve a corner of your two page spread for questions. Write a few questions.
Written observations focused on color, shape, pattern, size, quantity, texture, fragrance, sound. Animal activity and behavior should be noted.
Students record their observations in their classroom journals which are actually set up as a cross between an field biologist's journal and an interactive one. At the beginning of the semester when we set up the journals, I shared a few articles written by wildlife scientists on the importance of their recorded observations to their research.
I visited each student, making about four circles providing students with feedback and asking questions. Surpringly, I had to give very little redirection.
Observation naturally leads to appreciation. Skills honed outdoors "in the field" transfer back "in the lab." Lessons taught in the classroom are applied and demonstrated outdoors.
Over time students develop their own style. What this student does on paper can be recreated using software like Prezzi. This also aids students in notetaking skills.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Signs of Spring
It's been a long and hard Central Texas winter. Early blooming natives like redbud, Mexican Plum, and agarita are vital nectar sources for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Migrating species are paced by the availability of food sources.
Each day in our gardens reveals new blooms, fragrances, and emerging leaves. The following pictures were taken over the last two weeks by me and various students, among them, Alyssa, Jessica, Ethan, and Garrett.
Agarita (Berberis trifoliata)
Carolina Jessamine (Gelsenium sempervirens)
Mexican buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa)) in foreground
Lady bug ( Hippodamia convergens?)
Carolina Jessamine
Bluebonnet
Labels:
agarita,
bluebonneta,
Carolina Jessamine,
lady bug,
Mexican buckeye,
Mexican Plum
Monday, March 7, 2011
Texas Spiny Lizard
On Thursday morning Kathryn and Amanda surprised me with a lethargic lizard wrapped in a garden glove. They found it lodged between the building and the flower bed they were cleaning up. It looks suspiciously like the one we released near the same spot three years earlier. I have seen it several times in the vicinity.
That was first period. We kept it overnight for observation. Below is my 7th period Taste of Science class on a mission to return it to where it was found.
This lizard is appropriately named. Its scales lay down flat when you rub them from head to tail. Rub it the opposite way and your skin will catch on the points of the scales. Spiny indeed.
Texas spiny lizards are common in Oklahoma and northeastern Mexico. The grow from 7 1/2 to 11 inches long. They are active during the day and are avid tree and fence climbers.
The dark lines on its upper legs indicate that its a female. Males have blues markings down the underside along the abdomen.
Her diet will consist of insects. Small has suffered numerous spikes in the cricket population. We often find them in the building even on the third floor. We could use a few more of her kind.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Spring Cleaning & Plant Sale Announcement
Live oak trees drop their leaves in early spring as new growth pushes the previous year's out. The gift of the oaks is not only the sheer abundance of compostable material, but also a well timed infusion of carbon. We started our fall pile in November. Oak leaves break down slowly. To speed up the decomposition process, mow them.
Of course, this deciduous event can overwhelm a home garden's compost facilities. If you do wind up with surplus bags of leaves or grass clippings, please drop them off at the north yellow service gate.
Raking was not the only activity the students were engaging in. The grasses, trees, shrubs perennials, and trees needs trimming. Our cacti took a severe beating in our extended freeze.
The students are mastering their tool usage now and accomplished an impressive amount of garden maintenance.
Click on the picture below to watch us at work.
Our Spring Plant Sale will be in the greenhouse on Saturday, April 2nd from 9:00-1:00.
Plant list and student designed posters to follow shortly.
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