Inge Leonora-den Ouden

In my opinion children learn best from the example given by their parents. So it's better if an education project does not only aim at the children, but at their parents too. Ask the parents to 'volunteer' in the 'school garden, to help their children there ... it's a 'stealth' way to educate the parents too.
Of course most parents have their jobs, so they can't volunteer at school hours. That's a good reason to choose the weekends for working at the 'school garden'. Another good reason for that choice is: the teachers of the school will not be there, or only those who really want to be there.
OK, I understand, if this is something for volunteers in the weekends, not all children of the school (or all parents) will be there. That's the downside. But those who are there will have a nice educative experience and after some time they can educate others. They can tell how awarding it is to grow your own veggies!

Hi. I don't have suggestions, only want to encourage you by showing how my miniature food forest in the front yard looks.

Facing south-east (that's the right side in this photo, the path you see here is in the middle of the garden, towards the front door). Climate like in England, maybe like Seattle region (the Netherlands).

Spring is not only inside my garden, but also in front of it. Japanese cherry blossoms in the Netherlands.

That 'six function whistle' thing; if you have that you can skip many other things!
I would add a small sketchbook or notebook and a four-color-ballpoint (BIC). For drawing, sketching, writing (if she has the age she knows how to write).
Of course something to eat (granola bar) and drink (water in a reusable bottle). And a shawl or bandana, it can be used for many functions.

Spring started early. In my front yard garden (at the warm side) everything is growing ...

Rhubarb on a mini-Hugel


Raspberry bushes, other bushes and all kinds of herbs


Waterplants in the Tiny Pond

Steve Thorn wrote:..... I've seen a lot of people around here growing aloe inside recently, looks worth trying!

I grow Aloe vera plants indoors since several years. Easy plants! They only needs large pots, because they're large plants and need extra space for the new plants (pups?) they grow at the side. During the summer I move them outdoors, but they stay in the pot. They love sunshine, they don't like rain / wet feet, and freezing temperatures kill them.

For me Chard is the easiest. Once I had it in my garden it re-seeded every time, so I always have green vegetables, without any effort! Winters here are fairly mild, so the Chard (and the Lamb's lettuce) survive the winter.

You started the thread with asking for a natural herb to replace vanilla. Here we have a wild herb, the English name is Meadowsweet, in Latin Filipendula ulmaria. It seems the root of that plant gives a vanilla-like taste when added to desserts. I did not yet try it, but I have the plant growing near my small pond.

I have a lot of herbs in my garden, perennials and self-seeding plants. Mint, thyme, rosemary, chives, verbena, borago, etc.
I like foraging in the wild. Some of the wild 'vegetables' I consider more like herbs, because they have such a strong taste. I add some dandelion leaves and wild chives (Allium vineale) to my salad, f.e.

Beth Wilder wrote:I looked but didn't find a thread just on growing cotton. Is there one now that I missed? I live in/near one of cotton's homelands and this year would like to try growing Sacaton Aboriginal Cotton (developed by the Pimans for food and fiber, related to Hopi cotton) and Davis Green (a cross between Pima cotton and a Louisiana green cotton, said to produce a longer fiber than most green cottons). I love working with color grown cotton especially. I'm going to try seeding them "when the mesquite begin to leaf out" as the Pimans reportedly did. They haven't leafed out quite yet. A couple years ago I grew some Sacaton at about the same elevation as here (abt 4,300 ft.) but nearly 4 degrees latitude north. It didn't produce copiously there, but it did produce. Embarrassingly, I haven't processed those bolls yet. I'm hoping for higher yields down here, and I'd just add those few bolls in. I'd love to talk more with folks about the vagaries of growing and processing cotton on a small scale if there's interested. Thanks in case!

Hi Beth. I don't know anything about growing cotton. I don't live in the cotton-growing climate. But I love your motivation and efforts to grow those original cotton varieties!

Nicole Alderman wrote:You've made it to 45 days/posta! WOOT WOOT! You're halfway to getting a dragon and fairy/elf/miniature person from me via the Biological Reverse Kickstarter

Did you already get the rewards for "Any Boot to post a pic a day for 30 days"?

If you go on like this you'll get the hand-knitted cap made out of hand-spun sheeps wool too!