Saturday Gardening

Students interested in helping out in the h.s. garden are invited to participate in a garden work day tomorrow, 10/26, from 10-11:30 a.m.  Community service hours are available.

We've been wrapping up things in the garden now that fall is here.  The tomato plants have completed their cycle, as have the squash plants.  We're still harvesting herbs, lettuce, and swiss chard.  More garlic will be planted.

The FHS Garden Club has met a few times and begun working out back.  Students are tending to the fruit trees and mulching, and helping to lay down wood chip pathways.  Community service hours are available to students who can donate their time to help.  Some weekend work hours may be scheduled, weather permitting.

Late August in the Garden...

Towering Tomatoes 

Healthy herbs from the herb garden

Round zucchini, who knew?

Yummy peaches!

Fenced-in greens to keep the intruders out

Bountiful Basil!

Killer Kale!!

Garden Visitor

Lately, we've noticed what appears to be a young, red-tailed hawk in the high school area....its nest is possibly nearby.  We can hear its vocalizations as it soars overhead, surveying the fields and grounds.  Yesterday (Saturday) it landed on the corner of the building near the patio and sat there observing one of us as we went about our garden chores. Here are some pictures of the hawk taken with a cell phone.

Garden Hours, Week of August 19th

Monday:  4:00-5:30
Wednesday: 2:00-4:00
Thursday: 9:00-11:00
Friday: 2:00-4:00

Garden Hours, Week of August 12th

Garden Hours:

Monday: 2:00-4:00
Tuesday: 8:30-11:00
Wednesday: 2:00-4:00
Friday: 2:00-4:00

Garden Hours, Week of Aug. 5th

Garden Hours Week of 8/5:

Monday: 3:00-5:00
Tuesday: 8:30-11:00
Thursday: 8:30-11:00
Friday:  3:00-5:00

Cancelled...

Garden hours for today, July 23rd, have been cancelled due to rain.

Summer Pics

Drying Garlic

...and more garlic

Garden Hours, Week of July 22nd

Garden Hours This Week:

Monday: 4:30-6:30
Tuesday: 2:30-4:30
Thursday: 8-11
Friday: 2:30-4:30

Check back for last minute changes.

Front H.S. Garden

Week of July 15th

Garden Hours for the Week of July 15th:

Tues.: 8-11

Wed.: 4-6

Thurs.: 8-11

Garden Schedule, Week of July 8th

Garden Hours, Week of July 8th (weather permitting), will be as follows:

Monday: 2-6
Tuesday: 9-12
Thursday: 9-11

Schedule Change Today!

Given the weather forecast for rain today (7/2), there will be no garden hours.  Let's hope for dry weather soon!

Early Summer in the Garden

Fruit on our Peach Trees

Blueberries...a little ways to go

Tomato plants

Zucchini Seedlings

Part of our "Pest Control" Program 

New Herb Garden

Schedule, Week of July 1st

Garden Hours:

Monday: 3-6
Tuesday: 9-12
Wednesday: 3:30-5:30
Friday: 3:30-5:30

Thunderstorms are forecast for the next few days, so check back for schedule changes.  We're collecting newspaper and cardboard for use in the garden.  Thanks.

Schedule Change Today

Due to the threat of thunderstorms later today and the cooler weather, garden hours will be moved back to 2:00 today.  I plan to stay at least a couple hours, weather permitting.

Schedule Change

Due to our hot weather, the garden work hours will be adjusted this week, pending no thunderstorm threats in the immediate area:

Tuesday, 6/25: 9-11
Wednesday, 6/26: 4-6
Thursday, 6/27: no change
Sat. TBD

If you're volunteering, please bring water to drink and sunscreen.  We hope to get a lot accomplished this week.

Garden Hours, Week of 6/24

Tuesday: 1-4
Wednesday: 2-4
Thursday: 9-12
Saturday: TBD

Come join us in the garden next week! There's lots to do and we also have fun!!

Recycling Plastic

Garden helpers:  Please save and bring in some 1 & 2 liter plastic bottles (like juice/soda/milk) so we can make some drip irrigation jugs to put between our plants, especially the tomatoes.

Week of 6/17

Garden Schedule (weather permitting):

Tuesday: 9-11
Thursday: 9-11
Saturday: 10-12

If it's really pouring on a scheduled work day, we won't plan to work.  Check back for an alternate time.

Spring in the Garden

Iris by the Front Door

In the back garden

Out back

On the back patio

Hostas by the back patio

Iris out front

Beautiful!

Pruning Clinic

This past week we hosted a pruning clinic in the orchard, led by University of Maine Cooperative Extension Educator, Dr. Richard Brzozowski.  Staff and students from the Falmouth schools, and a couple parents, participated in the hands-on lesson.  We received an initial overview from Dr. Brzozowski about the reasons for pruning, when to prune, and tools and methods used.  Then we set out to tackle the fruit trees, which include apple, pear, cherry, and peach.

Late winter/early spring, while the trees are still dormant, is the best time to prune...so our timing was just right.  Pruning wounds will be able to heal faster when the tree is beginning to grow for the season.  Attention to pruning affects both the tree's productivity and longevity.  Of course, any time there's diseased, dead, or dying wood, it should and can be removed.

We also got a mini lesson on pruning high bush blueberries.  We'll be finishing up this job in the coming weeks.

Dr. B stated that interested parties should view the material on pruning that is available on the University of Maine Cooperative Extension website.  The Extension also has a free, monthly electronic  newsletter for home gardeners called "Maine Home Garden News."  Here's the link for subscribing:
http://umaine.edu/gardening/maine-home-garden-news/.

Essay Contest for Portland Flower Show

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the organizers of the Portland Flower Show are sponsoring a "Student Essay Contest."  Maine residents aged 6–18 are invited to participate in this contest. Three prizes ($50, $30 and $20) will be awarded in each of the three age categories (6–9, 10–13 and 14–18). Essays will be judged on criteria such as creativity, focus, and passion for the topic. The winning essays will be announced at the show’s opening night preview on Wednesday, March 6, and selected essays will be posted for public viewing for the duration of the show. The Portland Flower Show runs from March 7 to 10, 2013 at the Portland Company Complex, 58 Fore Street, Portland.  

 For a contest application and rules, contact the UMaine Extension Office in Cumberland County by phone at 800-287-1471 or by e-mail at amy.witt@maine.edu. Applications can also be downloaded from the Portland Flower Show website http://www.portlandcompany.com/flower or the Cumberland County Extension website http://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/. The deadline for submitting entries is Friday, February 8.

Seed Sale

The Falmouth Schools Farm to School Group is sponsoring a flower, herb, and vegetable seed sale through Fedco Seeds of Waterville, Maine. The profits will benefit the existing high school garden and middle school greenhouse, and the elementary children's garden which will be constructed this spring at the elementary school. The Children's garden will combine a kitchen garden, which will be used as a farm to school resource in the elementary cafeteria, and a butterfly/ sensory garden. Watch Principal's Notes in February for more information on this exciting venture.

This is a great opportunity to purchase organic and non-organic seeds for your home flower beds and vegetable gardens. Simply download the order forms, mark your purchases, pay by check made out to FHS (Falmouth High School), and send it into school in an envelope marked FALMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL SEED SALE by March 8th.

Payment must accompany the order. Orders should be here for pick up by March 21st.

Should you have any questions, please contact Mark Melnicove (mmelnicove@falmouthschools.org) at FHS, Stephanie Knight (sknight@falmouthschools.org) at FMS, Sue Raatikainen (sraatikainen@falmouthschools.org) at FES, or Martha Poliquin (mpoliquin@falmouthschools.org) , Food Service Director. Thank you for your support and happy planting!!

www.fedcoseeds.com/forms/fhs.pdf

www.fedcoseeds.com/forms/fhsOG.pdf