Pictures from the End of Summer

Hello Huegel Eagles.  Below are some pictures from the middle and end of August.  Extra points for spotting the Gold Finch in the first picture:

More coming soon!

And Now for Something Completely Different

Here are at Dirt Club Hq, we're always looking for something new to do with what the garden gives us.  What follows is something we never would have thought of.  Ever.

Here is the link to the original story via the Smithsonian website, and here is the video you'll find there.  Enjoy!




A theme for next year's garden...hmmm?

Harvest Moon

Hey there Huegel Eagles.  This blog has fallen a bit behind the times!  We'll resume new postings soon, but in the mean time check out this shot from the night of the first frost of the year!

The picture is taken from the top of the Prairie with the moon rising over the school.  More pictures from the end of summer coming very soon!

July in the Garden

Hey Huegel Eagles!  It's July and despite the dry weather, Dirt Club has been busy watering and planting!
We're trying Popcorn this year.  Ms. Hruska's class planted these in May and when they came up, they looked exactly like blades of grass.  Now look at them!

Next, per the suggestion of Ms. Lee-Wahl, we've planted 5 kinds of pumpkins.  White, orange (regular), orange (large), red, and blue.  It's going to be one colorful patch come fall!  A mulch of hay will help keep moisture in the ground where the roots can access it.  It will also provide a great environment for creepy crawly oddments!  Lift for a look!

Finally, because YOU demanded it on the end of the year survey, we have planted Watermelons!  In fact we found 50% of you, per the excellent statistical work done by Ms. Campbell's class, asked for these to be grown this year.   We're not sure if we can get them to ripen as late as September, but we're sure going to try!  To give these more room, we'll soon be putting up a structure for the vines to climb.

Stay tuned for more coming soon!  If you would like to volunteer for Dirt Club please contact us via the email address at the top of the page.

Opening Day!

Opening Day at the Huegel School Garden started with clouds, drizzle, 11 volunteers, and at least a ton of compost.

First we weeded:

 

Then Junior Girl Scouts from Troop 2111 arrived and built us a much needed Compost Bin!

They stayed to swing some shovels as we started to shift the ton and more of compost onto the garden beds!  They were tough!

It was a big job, especially since it had rained the night before.

Vicki Hruska works compost into the Sunflower bed.  Notice the difference in colors between the existing soil and what was delivered!

Great work!  Look how fantastic the garden looks!  It's ready for the Sunflower seeds to be planted!

Dirt Club members:

Those who Worked Hard and got Rained On and Dirty:

Melissa Burger
Vicki Hruska
Barbara James
Karen Lee-Wahl
Kendra and Meghan (Troop 2111 members) 
Allen Wenzel
Evan and Henry (Clodbusters 0407)

Those who Helped Save the Above from Getting Wetter and Dirtier:

Nicole Craig at the Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, Inc.  for arranging a timely compost delivery from the City.  CAC is a great organization filled with dedicated people.
Marquis Childs for taking the time make sure the giant pile of compost was dropped close to the garden.  Many backs were saved due to his effort.
David Bray for his continued and enthusiastic support.

Garden Work Day May 21 at 10am

Hey Huegel Eagles, the first general work day this year is scheduled for May 21 at 10am.  Activities will include:

Hauling and Working in Compost!
Weeding!
Marking Plots for the Classroom Sunflower Project!

Woo!  Sounds like great fun, eh?  If you'd like to come please email the garden at the address above, or Corrie at cbbburmeister@gmail.com .  Or call Corrie at 608 957 4469.

Make sure to bring water, gloves, and your favorite shovel!

Looking for something garden related to do this Weekend?

Look no further!  From The West Madison Agricultural Research Station:

Great garden ideas on display at UW Family Horticulture Day on May 14

Grab a notebook, camera and tote bag before you head to Family Horticulture Day on May 14 at the University of Wisconsin’s West Madison Agricultural Research Station. That will make it easier to carry home the bounty of ideas and samples offered by the station’s staff, Extension specialists, Master Gardeners, and other volunteers at the many indoor and outdoor displays.

In addition to helping you grow your greatest garden ever, this annual event is great for finding new ways to add color to your backyard and your plate. For example, a Beauty and the Beet display will show an underappreciated vegetable in new hues and offer samples of organic golden beet seed. The Popcorn Challenge will let you compare the textures of red, yellow and black kernels. You’ll also have a chance to sample red, white and yellow carrots, and afterwards, you can clear you palate with ice cream made with Wisconsin strawberries and raspberries.

You can also learn how to grow purple, red and yellow potatoes in a pot or garbage can—one of several demonstrations focused on planting and maintaining a kitchen garden in a small space—and take home seeds and seedlings to grow the potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, squash and pumpkins.
Experts will also show how to create inexpensive, attractive  “island gardens” to attract native pollinators that can give a big boost to vegetables, flowers and fruit trees.

West Madison Master Gardeners will be selling late blight-resistant tomatoes seedlings and unique peppers will be available for sale. And the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society will be holding their annual sale during the field day.

There will be many activities geared to kids. To name a few: They can take home herbs to plant a “fragrance garden,” get close to hissing cockroaches and other intriguing bugs in the Wisconsin Insect Ambassadors collection, extract DNA glop from wheat and create a seed-filled shaken drum.
Admission and parking are free. A small donation will be requested for plants and seeds to cover costs. Don’t be discouraged by roadwork near the station; it’s easy to get through.

Family Horticulture Day runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The West Madison Agricultural Research Station is located about a mile west of the Beltline at 8502 Mineral Point Road.
More information and directions to the gardens are available at www.cals.wisc.edu/westmad/garden/.

 

 

 

 

Spring is Springing!

Winter has been loath to let us escape this year, but the wet and cold (and occasional pelting frozen rain) can't last forever!  Seedlings have been started for our garden and are progressing nicely.  There is a ton and more of compost (literally!) on order for our garden work day of 21May2011.  We've also had some Huegel Eagles get outside and get dirty already.  Mrs. Hruska writes:


Mrs. Hruska's 2nd and 3rd graders went out to the garden in April.  Our goal was to help with the clean up of the garden in preparation for the spring planting.  There were a lot of sunflower stalks that needed to be pulled out of the ground, broken up and put into a composting pile near our woodland.  The students worked hard and worked together to get everything cleared.  We can't wait to start planting!


Thank you to Mrs. Hruska and her class!  You have really been helpful!  Thank you for getting outside!

If YOU would like to volunteer please email the garden at the address above, or contact Corrie at cbbburmeister@gmail.com or 608-957-4469.

A garden survey is currently circulating around Huegel School.  Vote on your favorite munchies for next year!
Check back soon for updates!

General Garden Work Day

On 21May2011, we will be having a work day to clean up, spread more compost, and weed. If you're interested in coming please contact Corrie at 608-957-4469, or cbbburmeister@gmail.com.

Thank You!