Term 3 – Our First Rewarding Harvest
Where did Term 3 go? So much happened, and the time flew by!
We began with kumara and potatoes, always a favourite because digging them up feels like a treasure hunt. We watched a video about potatoes and placed them in egg cartons on the windowsill. By the end of the term, they'd sprouted little "pimples" (shoots), ready to be planted. During the last week, the boys enjoyed digging a trench to plant them. Now, they’ll grow over the holidays, and I can't wait to see the tamariki's reactions when the plants sprout next term. The kumara, sitting in water alongside the potatoes, also grew long shoots, which will be ready for planting in November.
On wet days, we took the opportunity to start planting summer crop seeds in punnets. The tamariki explored the variety of seed sizes and colors, discovering how even the tiniest seed can grow into a large vegetable. We planted beans, pumpkins, watermelon, tomatoes, zucchini, corn, cucumbers, and sunflowers. By Term 4, these seedlings should be ready for transplanting into the garden beds.
Another big project was mulching around the garden boxes to stop grass from creeping in and to create better paths. We laid cardboard first, then added mulch. I was amazed at how well the younger kids handled the wheelbarrows, and they loved climbing the mulch pile! The transformation was fantastic.
The tamariki were rewarded with bright red radishes. Each child got to pull one out, and while some found them spicy, others couldn’t stop eating them. It was great to see them trying something new.
Our garden is growing, both with food and new additions. Over the last month, we added an apple and a plum tree to join our lemon tree. The tamariki were excited to plant them, though surprised to see bare "sticks." I explained that the trees are dormant now but will bloom in summer. Jake and Warren, who have been a huge help, assisted us with the planting.
We also received a new garden shed, generously funded by the Papamoa Rotary Club. The tamariki helped me to move all the tools into it. The shed, now located right by the garden, will make our work much easier. Thank you, Papamoa Rotary Club!
To attract bees and butterflies, we learned they need plenty of flowers. Warren built a colourful border around the old long jump area, which we are transforming into a flower garden. The tamariki helped weed the area, and we planted sunflowers and scattered flower seeds.
On our last gardening day of Term 3, we harvested lots of vegetables for the tamariki to take home—cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, and silverbeet. It was so rewarding to see how amazed they were at the growth since we started.
Happy holidays, tamariki! I’m looking forward to another fun term with you.