Spring always feels like a hopeful time, and a seed is the best example of hope that spring can offer. It’s the dream of warmer days, returning birds, chirring insects, and a plant growing tall and strong. A seed that you help start is a great way to get hands dirty, tap into that power of hope and get your mind and body for the warmer weather.
This spring we’ve been using seeds and seed starting as yet another way to get young people out in nature (even in the midst of a pandemic). We’ve connected with our school partners to design seed starting activities that teach and connect our students with nature.
Pleasant Ridge Montessori Seed Kits
Earlier this spring, classrooms at Pleasant Ridge Montessori (PRM) signed up to receive seed starting kits. Each kit contained soil, a spray bottle, instructions, trays, pot making materials, and of course, seeds. Each student made their own pot and and planted it with either swiss chard or kale seeds.
These young seed starts either live in the classroom or come back to Imago for care. As they get bigger and taller, PRM students will transplant their seedlings into their school garden. As spring rolls along, the students will take care of their plants until they are ready to harvest in late spring. These students will have the full gardener experience of starting seeds, transplanting them and eventually harvesting. Imago’s kits made it simple for already busy teachers to participate, without having to buy and organize all the materials.
Rees E. Price Pollinator Garden
Our friends at Rees E. Price (REP) also worked with us to start seeds but this time, for their very own pollinator garden. Imago visited STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) classrooms to talk about pollination gardens and their importance to pollinators. Students learned about common pollinators in our area and the crucial role pollinators play in our ecosystem.
After our classroom presentation, students started pollinator flowers. These flowers will be transplanted into the school’s new pollinator garden. Imago and the STEM classrooms will install the pollinator garden near the school entrance. The garden will not only bring some color and life to the school entrance, it will be an important habitat for local pollinators, and a great learning and discovery space for school students.
What’s Next?
In the next few weeks, Imago will continue to partner with the schools to help with care of the gardens and to make sure that the students’ starts, grow healthy and strong. Know of a school that might be interested in seed starting? Or perhaps you’d want to help us care for school gardens during the summer growing season? Let us know!
