Travelling into spring in the Kitchen Garden

Date posted: 26 September 2019

Term three is almost over and it’s been a busy time as we’ve bounced into the spring season.

It’s all about the journey… and the destination

Gardens are dynamic, ever changing environments, and the Little Sprouts Kitchen Garden is certainly no different!

It is worth remembering that gardening is both a journey and a destination. At any time of year, certain plants will be travelling on their way past bud, through full bloom and then onto fruit, whilst others will have arrived at their destination.

At the moment, dill, coriander and fennel are currently in flower in the kitchen garden. They are attracting a host of bees, hover flies and other pollinating insects who are feasting on their wares.

Why not plan your garden with lots of destinations at different times of the year?

Spring is a great time to start planting corn and sunflowers. Keep the dried stalks when they have finished to use as supports for peas and runner beans.

It is also a time where we can harvest snow peas, silverbeet and lettuce.

What will you plant now for the harvesting journey into summer and autumn?

Experimentation is key

You can learn a lot about gardening and your outdoor space by experimenting. Be bold and try growing different combinations of plants to find out what works.

Experiment with closer spacing or try growing plants with different heights. Taller plants can provide shade and protect smaller plants.

You can mix radish and carrot seeds together and plant out directly in to the soil. In fact, one of the most popular food that children harvest in the Little Sprouts Kitchen Garden is carrots in a range of different colours. Children are captivated and eager to find out what colour the carrot is when it is picked out of the ground!

Teachers - professional development opportunity!

Join us for a kitchen garden workshop which aims to support and inspire educators to connect children with kitchen gardens.

The workshop will feature a range of presentations and discussions including:

• Tips for a successful school kitchen garden.
• The science of bees and pollination - a STEM Inquiry.
• The history edible plants - through a social, economic and geographic lens.
• What works in schools?

Find out more here

Happy Sprouting!