Photo by Suzanne PaisleyDid you know that the food you eat is comprised of these plant parts? For example, when you eat broccoli, you eat a flower. Peas are seeds and so are pomegranates. Strawberries are fruits covered with seeds, and potatoes are underground stems. Lettuce is made up of leaves, carrots and radishes are roots and onions and garlic are bulbs.
The demonstration garden’s main purpose is to display the plant parts that humans consume. All of the fruits and vegetables we eat are comprised of roots, leaves, stems, flowers, bulbs, fruits and seeds. The goal of the garden is to showcase at least one from each of these categories at all times. The garden will be a great place for 4-6th grade teachers to address several of the California State Standards for science.
The irrigation is nearly complete, and we will begin planting vegetables, herbs and flowers in the next two weeks. The garden is based on Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening principals. The front garden bed resembles a tic-tac-toe, and has nine sections that will be used for seasonal vegetables and flowers. The bed along the back part of the garden is bordered by a chain link fence where we will plant perennials like artichokes, asparagus and boysenberries (available in January as bare root plants) strawberries (in spring), as well as colorful fall flower bulbs. Both edible and sweet peas will be grown along the chain-link fence.
Grover Landscape, the Home Depot and Orchard Supply and Hardware donated compost and lumber. Scenic Nursery of Modesto donated seeds, and the Greenery in Turlock donated 6 packs of vegetables. Many thanks to all of these businesses. I’d also like to thank our intern Troy Webb, a student from CSU Stanislaus, who has been an integral part of planning the construction of the garden.
The irrigation is nearly complete, and we will begin planting vegetables, herbs and flowers in the next two weeks. The garden is based on Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening principals. The front garden bed resembles a tic-tac-toe, and has nine sections that will be used for seasonal vegetables and flowers. The bed along the back part of the garden is bordered by a chain link fence where we will plant perennials like artichokes, asparagus and boysenberries (available in January as bare root plants) strawberries (in spring), as well as colorful fall flower bulbs. Both edible and sweet peas will be grown along the chain-link fence.
Grover Landscape, the Home Depot and Orchard Supply and Hardware donated compost and lumber. Scenic Nursery of Modesto donated seeds, and the Greenery in Turlock donated 6 packs of vegetables. Many thanks to all of these businesses. I’d also like to thank our intern Troy Webb, a student from CSU Stanislaus, who has been an integral part of planning the construction of the garden.
Community members are invited to drop by anytime to preview the progress of the garden, which is located behind the Stanislaus Building at our office on the corner of Crows Landing and Service Roads.
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