Lettuce Learn
  • Home
  • About
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
    • In the News
  • Workshops
  • Gardens
    • ASU Child Development Center >
      • ASU CDC Garden News
    • Bethel >
      • Reflections from Bethel Garden
    • Blowing Rock >
      • Reflections from Blowing Rock
    • Cove Creek >
      • Reflections from Cove Creek
    • Green Valley >
      • Reflections from Green Valley
    • Hardin Park >
      • Reflections from Hardin Park
    • Mabel
    • Mountain Pathways >
      • Reflections from Mountain Pathways
    • Parkway >
      • Reflections from Parkway
    • Two Rivers >
      • Reflections from Two Rivers
    • Valle Crucis >
      • Reflections from Valle Crucis
  • Resources
  • Support
  • Home
  • About
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
    • In the News
  • Workshops
  • Gardens
    • ASU Child Development Center >
      • ASU CDC Garden News
    • Bethel >
      • Reflections from Bethel Garden
    • Blowing Rock >
      • Reflections from Blowing Rock
    • Cove Creek >
      • Reflections from Cove Creek
    • Green Valley >
      • Reflections from Green Valley
    • Hardin Park >
      • Reflections from Hardin Park
    • Mabel
    • Mountain Pathways >
      • Reflections from Mountain Pathways
    • Parkway >
      • Reflections from Parkway
    • Two Rivers >
      • Reflections from Two Rivers
    • Valle Crucis >
      • Reflections from Valle Crucis
  • Resources
  • Support
Reflections ​from
​valle crucis

photos

7/31/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

July  has  come  and  gone

7/31/2015

0 Comments

 
I spent time  yesterday  morning   working  in  the  secret  garden planting   some  marigolds,  doing   a  little  weeding  and  fertilizing.  To  be  honest  I  am unpleasantly  surprised  at  the  growth  rate  of  the  vegetables  and  flowers.  Yes,    everything  was  started  from  seed  and   went  into  the  ground  a little  late  but  the  garden   gets  good  sun  and   has  been  well  irrigated.  By  contrast  the items  I   planted  in  the  ground outside  our   home  and   those  in  the  Little  Diggers  garden  are   growing  so  much  faster.  I  only  get  4 hours    of  sun  on   the  garden  at  home  and  yet  my  corn  and   tomatoes  and  beans  are more  than  double  the  size  of  what  I  planted  in  the  secret  garden.  The    most obvious  difference  is  in  the  soil.  I  believe  that miracle grow brand  garden  soil  makes  up  most  of  the  raised  bed  mixture  in  the  school   garden.  It's  a  very  barky  mix  that  I  know  contains  an  osmocote  type  fertilizer  which surely   is  long  gone.  There   are  conspicuously no  earthworms  to  be   found.  When  I   jumped  into  the planting   I  assumed  that  the   soil  would  be  really   good  and  it  did  not  occur  to  me  to    have the soil   tested  but    at  this  point   I  believe   there  are deficiencies .  Trying   to  make   adjustments  as  best  I  can.  I  have  added  epsom  salts, fish  emulsion ,  bone  meal ,  some  lime  and  just   yesterday  an  organic  mix  with a  higher   count  of  potassium.  Probably  should   consider  a  source  for  calcium   as  well.   In  hind  sight  I  should  have  gotten  on    this  earlier   but  figuring   soil, growing  your  soil   takes  time.  I  remain    hopeful.
 
0 Comments

Dragon tongues and Corn tassels

7/22/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture

Working on two growing locations. The secret garden is regrettably behind but coming along. The in ground garden is kickin' into gear. Blossoms on tomatoes, tassels on corn, some beautiful beans and my first zucchini.


0 Comments

Watauga County Farm  Tour

7/15/2015

0 Comments

 
This Saturday Lettuce Learn garden  coordinators   will be at gardens  throughout  the   county  helping  out.  I'm  at the  Mary Boyer  Garden  behind  EarthFare  at  the  Episcopal  church.  It's  a  fantastic  little community  farm providing  food  for the  less  fortunate  and  giving  folks  a  place  to  garden.  As    part  of  our  service   we  will  provide  activities  for  children  while  mom  and   dad  check  out  the  site.  Going  to  do  "leaf   rubbings"  which  are  very  fun  and  cool.  We'll  pick   leaves , identify  them  and work  them  into masterpieces  to  dazzle  the  most  ardent  of  critics.  Really,really!!! Hope  to   see  some  Valle  Crucis  families  and teachers  for  this  great showcase  for    the  county's farmers. Events  go  all  day.  Check   out  http://farmtour.brwia.org/watauga-farms.html for  ticket  info  and  locations.

Picture
I'll  bring  the  supplies which'll include crayons, water colors, paper, kid's  scissors, glue  stick   and  any  other  fun    thing I can  think  of.  Everyone  goes  home   with  some artwork  and  I'm ready  to  help  y'all. Lots  of  great  leaves  to  work  with and  I'll  see  to it  we  have  a  bunch.   Did  this little experiment  with  an  oak  leaf.  I  want  to  make  a  bunch  more  so  let's  do  it  together.




0 Comments

Wax Beans

7/4/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
I  was late  starting  beans  but they're  beginning to produce.  A little creative  photography here which is  one   thing  students could  explore  using  images  from  the  garden.  Tweaked  this  just  a  bit in an open  source (free)   program  called  GIMP.  Technology and  Art and  the Garden mixed  into  tasty  visual  salad?   Well...... you   know  what  I mean.
1 Comment

Valle Crucis students  clean  up  at  the  farmers  Market

7/4/2015

0 Comments

 

What a   fantastic  morning!!!!!!!  I  showed up  this  morning (a  bit  late , ooops) at the  Watauga county  farmers  market .  I  sort  of  knew   there  was  a  section  for  the  kids but  finally  saw  the  inner  workings.  Sarah  Herman , Valle Crucis T.A. in  the  Pre-K   program  has   been   working the    market  with  students  and parents  on  a  regular  basis.  Her  beautiful  school  garden   provided  all  the  delicious , nutritious  offerings  which   were  sold.  What   did  the  offerings  include? Edible and  gorgeous  zucchini  flowers,   spaghetti squash, awesome  heads  of  red  and  green  leaf  lettuce, cucumbers, verdant kale,  dill  plants,  and  decorative squash  Yum.  Yum.  Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I  must  not  forget  to  mention (no  names  sorry) two  young  ladies  and   their  mom  who  displayed awesome  sales  "panache" and litterally  wowed  the  crowd  selling out  just  about  everything  we  had  and  raking  in some big  bucks.  Off  to    the  side  was  another  young  man  fro  VC   marketing some  vintage  "Peter Pan" swords  and  sheilds  and home  produced  honey.   "SOLD OUT"  Any  students  and  parents   from  Valle  Crucis  are  welcome  to  bring   their  wares.  Every other  week.  Join  the  fun.  Chat  a  bit  with Sarah  H..  She  grows  the  stuff  and  will  give  you  a  recipe  to  knock  your  socks  off.  Lot's  of  gardening and great  collateral  learning  going on  over  a  VC.  I  ask  myself.  Why  are  we   sooooooo!   AWESOME!   :)

0 Comments

Harder than you  think...

7/3/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture

Might  have done  this  twice??

0 Comments

    Dana Holden

    Has been gardening for over 20 years and has her Master Gardeners certification. She is especially interested in propagating native plants and apple grafting. She is now the After School Program Coordinator and Garden Coordinator at Valle Crucis. 

    Archives

    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015

    RSS Feed

Contact:
828.386.1537
​info@brwia.org
Location:
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture Office
P.O. Box 67 | 969 W King Street
 Boone, NC 28607