Maintenance first entry

Hello Gardenicious!!!

This is our first entry and here we want to tell you something about our work. It is being hard to organize maintenance in advance and think of spreading at the same time. Despite of mishaps and difficulties, we were ready to start.

Firstly, in cooperation with other groups such as "planning group" we recopilate some information needed. In order to succeed in our task of making vegetable garden to last in time, we must set a calendar for watering and provide enough information to do it.

After, we sketch some charts from information collected. It would be the basis for preparing calendar. 

It contains enough information, so everybody is able to water plants. Each plant requires a specific amount of water and days for it. 

Later on, we draft our first chart:

Finally, we develop the first version of our maintenance calendar:

Also, we came up with the idea of blog among other ways to spread our vegetable garden such as website, Ces Don Bosco's TV.7

It was nice to write, until next time ;).

Planning fifth entry

STARTING WITH THE STRUCTURE

During this week, we have decided how we will put the pallets and the boxes in the garden and how we will keep the plants inside of the pallets and the boxes.

How are we going to put the pallets and the boxes?

The pallets will hook to the wall through a small hook and these pallets also, will be leaning to the outside in order to increase the security. The boxes will be put in a row on the floor, in this way it will be easier to access them.

What can we use to keep the plants inside of the pallets and boxes?    

We can´t plant the plants directly on the pallets or the boxes because the soil can leave through the holes and there is a higher probability of to find more insects. For this reason, we have decided to buy a geotextile mesh between the base of the pallet and the box and the soil. On the one hand with this mesh, we will make small bags which will put inside of the different sections of each pallet for the different plants. On the other hand, we will cut bigger pieces of the same mesh for the boxes.  

    

Each pallet and box have different measurements, so we had to measure all of them taking into account the width, length and depth. After to get all the measurement we have decided to buy a geotextile mesh roll with 20 m x 1.05 m for all the garden. 

During these days, we have cut the mesh and we are starting to make the bags for the pallets.

We will tell you how it went the next week! 

Planning fourth entry

SOMETHING THAT WE HAD NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT: THE VARNISH

When all the structure seemed to be prepared and ready to be placed on the wall, we realized that we were working with wood! We knew it before of course, but we didn’t take into account that one of the main elements of the garden is water! And water causes wood to rot!

Since we knew the problem, we just needed to find a solution: VARNISH.

We have bought it in Leroy Merlin, a can of 5 L per 30€, being the most economic, and we were ready to paint.

Materials:

• Brushes
• A basin
• Old newspapers or magazines
• Dirty and old clothes
• Ventilated space

 It was enough with 5L and the little remaining we will use it to give a second coat of varnish in the parts that will be more in contact with water.

If we have to highlight a learning from this experience, that is TO LEARN IN THE PROCESS BY SOLVING PROBLEMS.

Planning third entry

THE STRUCTURE OF THE GARDEN

We have started building our vegetable garden. We had already 6 pales but we needed wooden boxes of fruit. These ones were easy to find if you just slip down at the end of any street market. We have a total of 14. 

We have needed to fix the pales to make them useful for our garden. That means, that we have had to remove some of the planks depending on the space we needed for aromatic plants or vegetables. In addition, we have had to sand some of them that could be dangerous for children. And that is mainly what we have been doing today. 

We will continue working as much as we can. The deadline is very close!!

Planning second entry

OUR PROJECT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED

Our project has been accepted! That’s a really good new!!! Now we have many things to do ahead!

We just decided to spend the day of today planning and establishing deadlines for things to be done in order to make this project real. Also, it is important for the rest of the groups to plan according to our calendar. That is, more or less, how it would look like:

• Before the 17th of March. We have to prepare the structure and put it into the wall and floor. That means to measure the pales and boxes, paint them if it is necessary, buy and put the net, measure the way and organize the space in an efficient way and get it done there.
• Before the 17th of March optional. On one hand, prepare the amount of soil that we will need (that means to calculate the volume that each pale and box need).  On the other hand, to prepare the natural fertilizer. We will try to post, next week, an entry about how to prepare it.
• First week of May. We will put all the soil in the correct amounts, in each section. In addition, we will wait for the Didactic group to go to the school and collect the planted seeds. We will count how many have survived and, according to this data, we will buy bulbs to plant and complete the garden.

After that, how function will be covered. We will just need to revise every now and then the structure to ensure the perdurability.

Planning first entry

DESIGNING THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

In this entry, we want to enumerate some of the aspects that we have needed to take into account. For example, the SPACE. We’ve needed to think carefully where we wanted to put the garden and which characteristics were essential. In our case, we will settle it down in front of the gym door of the school Santísimo Sacramento. 

• LIGHT. The bricks wall has been selected because it will receive the light of the afternoon. 
• ACCESSIBILITY. It is the place between the university and the school what allows us to make a project in collaboration with some classes of the school. It is also next to a water source and a drain. 
• DIMENSIONS. A wall of 7 meters. 

We want to have two kinds of vegetable gardens. One will be vertical, and the other one, horizontal. 

• VERTICAL GARDEN. It is going to be made with pales. In each pale we will put some small bags of net where we will put soil and the plant. 
• HORIZONTAL GARDEN. This one will be made by wooden boxes of fruit. We will take the advantage of the bigger volume to use them for the vegetable that needs more soil as green beans or peppers.

This design answers the necessity of doing it in a sustainable way, by using recyclable materials to take care of the environment. 

That is all we can design before the project is accepted. Let’s hope we get a positive answer on Tuesday. We will keep you informed!

Didactics second entry

Again, this week the didactics’ group “are all hands on check” to finish the flashcards of beet, lettuce, green bean, mint and so on. This work is something tedious because we have to do the same in all flashcards and write what elements need the plant and how is it?

Later, once that we have finished to design the flashcards and activities with children, we carry out the activities with the assistance of the coordination group.

On fifteenth of March Tuesday, we went at school with kids and we divided into three groups first, second and third of Infant education to explain them the flashcards of plants, what is a vegetable garden? and growth process of plants. Each classroom seeds a different plant, children of first course seed the mint plant, students of second course seed the oregano plant and children of third course seed the chive plant.

First of all, we did an assembly and brainstorming with children about the vegetable garden, for example: What is a vegetable garden? What kind of plants can we find in a vegetable garden?  What do we find in a vegetable garden? Or Have you done a vegetable garden with mom and dad? Children answer and tell us about their own experiences.

After that, we went in a specific space only for our vegetable garden at the university. We gave out one a pot which was made of recycled materials of the milks bottles. Later, the kids throw soil inside the pot in which they did a small hole in the middle of the pot and put some seeds.

Finally, children water their pot with support of us. The pot has two small holes at the end of the recycled bottles to strain the water.                                                                                                   

At last, children have to take the plant and they will take care with the help of their parents at home.

Didactics first entry

This is the first entry that we, the didactic group, are uploading to the blog. Here we will briefly explain what we have done during the last week (7^th to 13^th of March). Along these days we have been working on two different things:

On the one hand, we have been preparing different flashcards, pictures and information about the plants that we will have in our vegetable garden. These plants are the pepper, beetroot, chives, oregano, mint, spearmint, peas, green beans, spinach, lettuce, rosemary, lavender, thyme, rucola and lamb's lettuce. From each plant, we have looked for some specific information that we can learn ourselves and then explain to the children who will come to our garden. This data, accompanied by pictures and the name of the plant, includes characteristics and facts of the plants such as the amount of water or sunlight needed; the shape, colour and size of the leaves; the colour of the flower; etc. For instance, here we have some of them.

Apart from gathering and putting all these info and details together in a simple and visual way, some of us also have been preparing something else. 

 

Next Tuesday, 15^th of March, we will have our first activity with the kids and, therefore, we had to prepare the specific activities for that day.

In order to organize the activities, we have decided to distribute ourselves in the three classes of Pre-Primary where we are going to be. At the beginning we will do an assembly in which we will present the vegetable garden project to the children and we will explain them that we will need their help. Then we propose to let them tell us whatever they know about the vegetable gardens and answer any of their possible questions. Finally, the children will plant some seeds that they will take care of for the next weeks.

Luckily, next time we write something it will be after doing these activities and we wil be able to say how was it! 

Coordination second entry

Good morning bloggers!

Before going to Easter break, from the coordination group, we want to share with you a little presentation about the advantages of a garden have in adults, kids and elderly people as well as the benefits of the treatment of disease. Moreover, we have prepared some activities to work on a vegetable garden with kids. We hope you enjoy it! We will also propose you to add some comments about other activities to do with kids in a garden. All the ideas are validated and they will be thankful.

Besides, we are managing to go to visit some interesting vegetable gardens. We proposed the following ones to out class:

• A garden to treat the Alzheimer.
• "Canta rana" garden. The biggest vegetable garden of Madrid made by students.
• A garden to treat the Autism.
• Botanic garden of Madrid.

As soon as possible, we will give you more information about it and you will see fantastic pictures about our excursion. But now, is time to relax, we will continue with the blog in May, when we will come back from our teaching experiences, meanwhile, the kids are going to take acre our little plants. See you soon gardeniciuous!

Click here to see the presentation: https://prezi.com/tjp08kihc1me/gardenicious/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Coordination first entry

Hello Gardenicious!!!

What did we do during the week? We have continued working on the vegetable garden, but this time with a little and amazing visit. Do you know who come to work with us in the garden? ... Yes! The children of Santísimo Sacramento school.

On Tuesday, we went to school and we were planting oregano, spring onion and mint. The activity had different steps, firstly, we talked students about the different plants: their care and their characteristics. Secondly, we explained to them how they should seed them and finally, we helped them to plant them carefully. After the activity, we discovered that the children have learned a lot of things …. It was a fantastic and lovely day!

WELCOME

WELCOME TO GARDENICIOUS

You are welcome to our vegetable garden that we named it: Gardenicious. We think that building a vegetable garden is as an important matter for children as an interesting and ambicious project for us. 

Therefore, third course' students from CES Don Bosco looked for a way to develop a hands-on activity for children, so they were able to have a real contact with nature through practical learning in order to achieve meaningful knowledge. Also, it should be a great opportunity for us as future teachers. We firmly believe that this project only can last in time with commitment from our community. As a result of it, we count on teachers and students participation. 

To make this idea real, our class has organized duties in groups. There are four main groups:

• Coordination group
• Didactics group
• Planning group
• Maintenance group

We hope you can find on this blog more information about our vegetable garden: Gardenicious. Indeed, we want everybody to get involved with it. 

Thanks! 

Hello from Maintenance.

WELCOME TO MAINTENANCE SECTION

Hello everybody, we are the maintenance group which members are: Renzo, Bea and Elena. Among our main tasks we can list:  

1. Make sure vegetable garden to last in time.
2. Spread the news about Gardenicious by using different medias.

In order to achieve our goals we have designed this blog for you. We want you to feel like a member of our team and get ready to participate. Next entries you will know more about our vegetable garden and our tasks done.

Have a wonderful day, Gardenicious J

Hello from Didactics.

Didactics of the vertical garden

We are the didactic group and we are a group of seven members who are essential in this vegetable garden, with their effort have got to develop some activities for kids, organise flashcards of specific plants, and so on.

Specially, our task is to design activities for Infant Education children . In this way, we want the students to learn the process of growth of plants in a practical way.

For this reason, we have elaborated some activities in which children will feel the main protagonists of this project. Moreover, we have thought in some objectives to encourage the children’s learning, for instance:

• To promote the respect and care in the natural environment.
• To foster the working and learning cooperative.
• To observe the natural process of growth of plants. 

Come on, we need to get down to work :)

Hello from Planning.

WELCOME TO THE PLANNING SECTION

Hello everyone! If you are thinking to design a vegetable garden but you don’t know how to start, you are in the correct section! We want to narrate you our everyday process to share our ideas, difficulties and results with you.

But who we are? We are part of the project Gardenicious, a group of seven girls that are in charge of THE DESIGN AND PLANNING. These are the team members: Laura, Tessa, Alejandra, Elena, Patricia, Blanca y Tamara.And our main tasks are the following ones:

1. Design the previous idea of which kind of vegetable garden fixes with our conditions (of space, time and sources) and preferences.
2. Plan the necessary steps to carry it out.
3. And finally, get down to work!

In the next entries you can follow our process. Probably, we will need to change some parts in relation to what we have planned. Or maybe most of it! But that’s the good point of projects…

To learn together, by doing, on our way  J

See you in the next entry!

Hello from Coordination.

Hello Gardenicious,

We are the coordination group (Lucía, Carolina, Pablo and Silvia) and according to this we have to ensure that everything works properly in the project. Our work is to plan, organize and coordinate different tasks so that all is carried out in a adequate way. That is why all groups must work together and helping each other from their function in order to get a common goal, the creation of a vegetable garden.

Continuing with this, during these days our group have carried out different activities such as helping the planning group in the construction of the vegetable garden or looking for information about possible excursions and activities to do, we as students and with the children of the school. Besides we have investigated about the benefits of vegetable garden in society as well as against some diseases, all with the main goal of enriching our learning. As we are still developing this part of our work, we will upload more information soon so that all will know a bit more about the project and everybody can get new ideas about it.