montessori botany - the garden

            The purpose of growing a garden is to raise the child's awareness of plants. All aspects of a curriculum can be accessed through the garden. You can design a whole years worth of study around plants - studying their germination (birth), life and death (decomposition). Children learn where natural consumer products actually come from. Before taking on this endeavor, introduce the children to fruits, vegetables, and trees native to where you live. Prepare activities aimed at introducing fruits,vegetables, trees and plants familiar to the children.

        

winter garden snap pea blossom

winter garden snap pea

carrots mid December

Gardens awaken an enthusiasm for work, nutrition, learning and community cooperation, responsibility and preservation of the environment. Gardening with children helps develop their understanding of their relationship with nature. Advance planning is important for a successful garden. Consider a sensory garden when selecting your plants. Either way, maintaining a garden promotes gross motor development. Gardening chores such as digging, carrying watering cans full of water, planting and weeding.

Schedule field trips to local lavender farms, berry farms, pumpkin patches, farmers market, orchards, nurseries, etc. Use your local libraries to check out books on plants and horticulture to fill your classroom library. Ask parents if they have old gardening magazines they would be willing to donate for you to use in your classrooms study of plants.

Materials Needed:
buckets, seed markers, desire, commitment, volunteers, sun,water, drainage, soil, access for little people, tools for little people, tool storage, add flowers in the garden to attract pollinators, start a garden newsletter as soon as you have a plan. Plan backwards decide when the harvest will be - preferably before the school year ends so you can have a harvest party!

salad garden to feed the

classroom pets

WORMS are vital to the health of your soil & the
kids love to observe them and hold them

cabbage moth larvae

pests: the children enjoyed seeking these
guys out and picking them up with
tweezers and observing them outside
of the garden

montessori nomenclature - parts of a bulb 3 part cards & book



http://www.boston.com/yourlife/home/gallery/1109_tulips/

Its that time of year again! October through November is the perfect time to plant bulbs for early spring blooms. I can't help but get excited by such surprises. Last year when there was nothing much to plant october and november we planted lots of bulbs and we had lots of flowers to study in the spring. If you are planting bulbs with children have them dig the holes and you can apply the teaspoon of bulb food. Always make sure you wash your hands after handling bulbs. Make sure to use real terms when giving directions for planting. For example, "The roots will grow down into the soil; The roots emerge from the basal plate; The tunic will help protect the bulb from the dry cold" etc. etc. There are other ways to observe bulbs. Forcing bulbs is the easiest way to literally watch them as they grow from bulb to bloom. The best bulbs to force (that I've had success with atleast) are amarylis and hyacinths. Another way to learn about bulbs in depth are by learning about the only ones that are edible.

DEFINITIONS of UNDERGROUND STORAGE SYSTEMS:
http://www.montessorimaterials.org/Science/bulbmaterial.pdf

Picture Cards of EDIBLE BULBS:

www.forums.gardenweb.com  www.specialtyproduce.com www.science.howstuffworks.com  www.blackbookcooking.com  www.dealtagger.com  www.folkremedies.net  www.healthnewsonline.org  www.bonapetit.com  www.pyroenergen.com  http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/217553/enlarge



Parts of a BULB 3 part cards





Parts of a BULB Book:



LIFECYCLE of a BULB cards:

Definition of BULB lifecycle terms:

Dormancy The bulb is dormant and has been gathering energy after its spring bloom for the last several months. It will remain this way unless it is harvested for fall planting.

Planting The bulb has been planted and is now forming roots to prepare for winter. It is continuing to gather energy for its blooms.

Pre-Bloom New growth emerges through the soil as soil temperatures warm in the spring and late winter.

Bloom Time The bulb has spent almost a whole year gathering energy for its spring blooms. It has rested and received the proper amount of light, moisture and cold temperatures and is now ready to bloom.

Preparing for Dormancy Once the blooms have faded, the foliage begins to yellow and fade away. The bulb is not dying, but rather gathering energy through the leaves for the next season's blooms.
links: http://www.hollandbulbfarms.com/newtogardening.asp