Pleasant Plains Elementary School Garden
2015-2016
Garden Clean Out
November 1, 2015
Garden Clean Out 11012015 from Stephen Jasper on Vimeo.
PPES Garden
About the Garden
The Pleasant Plains Garden has been a cherished part of the campus for over 15 years. The garden has been utilized by teachers and parents each of those years for small independent projects. In the past, the garden was a flat, organized area of land for flowers to grow in. Last year the garden has undergone renovation with the financial backing of surrounding communities, donations from Home Depot, Target, and Wal-Mart. . Currently, the garden is reorganized with four elevated garden beds to grow vegetables and flowers inside a fenced in area about 176 square yards. The perimeter of the garden is decorated with annuals and perianal that are native to Maryland.
The massive undertaking was kick started through Pleasant Plains Elementary Schools efforts to become a Maryland Designated Green School. Later on in the 2013-2014 school year Pleasant Plains attained Green School status as well as the installation of the raised garden beds.
During the school year over 250 different community members (P.P.E.S staff, students, parents, and surrounding community members) helped maintain, plant, water, and weed the garden. At the moment, summer volunteer hours are strongly needed to help weed, water, and plant some of the existing plants in the garden. Volunteers and volunteer hours are collected through a website called Volunteerspot.com (http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/64536506001 ). A link to this website can be found on the Pleasant Plains Elementary Schools website on the right side of the home page. On this website, general directions on what volunteers can do to help are listed. Once the volunteer arrives at P.P.E.S, they will receive a copy of the most current list of things to do. http://pleasantplainses.bcps.org/ Additionally, the garden will have its own page (currently under construction) on the PPES website, highlighting some of the plants growing in the garden, a list of things that need to be done, photos, etc.
Our latest project that is related to the garden is to have a summer gardening workshop for students, parents and community members. The logistics of the club are still in the planning stages; however, we are aiming to have the workshop prior to the start of the school year.
Things to do in the garden:
- Remove weeds in ground areas, lay down black paper or weed barrier, then cover with mulch.
- Remove rough debris (large branches, sticks) from compost bin by tool shed and place in contractor’s bags. COMPOST BIN BY SHED: BEFORE EMPTYING ENSURE NO ANT COLONY REMAINs.
3. ½ Pick up cardboard on ground, rip up and add to compost pile. Lay out native plants bed.
- Plant remaining impatiens in shaded areas.
- Plant other annuals in sunny areas.
- Plant hostas and Alberta Spruce tree.
- Fertilize vegetables with Miracle Grow for Vegetables.
- Prop up tomato plants- tie up soft items.
- Plant seeds in one of the square boxes- Pending. Stagger planting seeds: plant lettuce leaves, three weeks spinach and kale.
- After each work time in Garden, pick up and organize shed.
- Install bird houses- attach them to posts then erect by fence
- Water garden- as needed -Continuing task
- Build potting/work table- see Nick for design & location
Supplies:
- Garden twine
- Rubber maid box for all seeds with filing cards
- Have one but needs to be cleaned and sorted
- Fertilizer Miracle Grow for Vegetables
- Name Tags for plant identification