Gardening

Spring is a good time to plant a garden, but how much do you know about how they grow? Here are some links to sites and videos that will help you learn more about plants and gardens.

>>>>Download the 1 page PDF<<<

1. What is the largest vegetable in the world? At Seed to Feed Me http://bit.ly/10CD4UG you can see pictures of the largest fruit and vegetables in the world like a 100 pound head of lettuce, a 268 lb watermelon, or a 1689 lb pumpkin that weighs as much as polar bear!

2. What is the oldest living seed in the world?  At National Geographic http://bit.ly/XstbxC you can learn about some 32,000 year old seeds found buried beneath the ice in Siberia, that were still alive. When they planted, they grew into delicate white flowers.

3. What’s the difference between an annual and a perennial? At The Permaculture Research Institute of Australia  http://bit.ly/10RIUTK you’ll learn that nearly all garden plants — like tomatos, carrots and pumpkins are annuals, meaning they die after one season. Perennials, like potatoes, rhubarb and asparagus, come back year after year.

4. How long does it take to grow a radish, and how deep do you plant the seed? At Cornell University’s vegetable growing guide, at http://bit.ly/ZeOJyK you can look up specific seeds, and learn that radishes grow in about 30 days, but you’ll need 70 days for a zuchini. You can find specific facts about almost any seed you might plant in your garden, in case you lose the instructions on the seed packet.

APPLICATION

Make a rainbarrel! Did you know that over 600 gallons of water falls on a 1000 square foot roof during a storm? Every drop could be used to water your carrots. Here’s are step by step instructions on how to make a rain barrel, visit “Store the Storm” for more.  Here are the instructions: http://www.hws.edu/fli/pdf/rain_barrel_manuel.pdf

Grow a flower in a cup- at http://www.kidsgardening.org/node/3914 you will fin