How we Built the Bean Tunnel Addition

This Sunday we extended our Bean Tunnel from last year and we had plenty of help. Now it is double the size. When I asked the kids last fall what they would change about the garden a longer bean tunnel was on the top of their list. Now it will go all the way up to the Sunflower House. Last year there was a 6 foot gap between them. We planted flowers and herbs there.



Here is how we put it together.

We started with a 50 in x 16 ft cattle panel that we bought at our local farm store, Wilco Farm Store.


Here Miranda and Stacy are making sure that the 2x4 are lined up so that when it gets folded it will be in the center.


Then the 2x4's are clamped in tight so the won't shift.


and then the folding begins. It takes a little extra effort.


And even some more effort.


Now Stacy and Ben are repositioning the braces to make a fold back to match the other panel already made last year.



After the fold is completed they flipped it over and repeated the process. Then bent it one more time on each side to make sure the sides would be parallel when installed in the garden.


Kyle put the finial touches in the top with a large hammer. Then it was installed in garden using 5 ft T-post so that it won't blow over when the plants grow and the wind blows. We used cable ties to tie it to the post and to last years tunnel. Now we have 8 feet of tunnel. It feels so much nicer. I can't wait to have the runner beans and gourds growing all over it. Last years Bean Tunnel.

Jr Master Gardener Lesson - Leaf and Seed sort

Saturday April 4th's Lesson - Leaf and Seed Sort


Today the Jr. Master Gardeners learned the hows and whys of sorting monocot and dicot seeds and leaves. First they learned why scientist sort them in the first place. They decided it is easier to figure out what they are if they are put in some sort of order. They learned that most plants in the our community garden are in two main groups: monocots and dicots. The veins in monocot leaves all go the same direction, dicots go all different directions. Then they went out into the garden to find some examples of both kinds of leaves.


They also learned how to tell the difference from a seed that has just sent out it's first leaves. Monocot plants only have one seed leaf, where as dicots have two seed leaves. Here the kids are documenting their findings.

Next they worked on had a fund raising project. A couple weeks before a few of the kids had gotten together to color eggshells. Now they are filling them with dirt and planting some hens and chick plants in them. They then sold them for a dollar a egg to help raise money to fill the food pantry selves. I heard they sold out quickly. Next year we hope to do more.

Planting the eggs and showing off the first dollar made.

Here the Jr. Gardeners are posing with their newly planted eggs next to the food pantry shelves.

The gardeners were busy today. They also feed the worms in the new worm bin.

Toward the end of their time together the Jr. Master Gardeners shared what they learned and made with the community gardeners who had stopped gardening long enough to have a coffee break.

The next meeting is Saturday April 18th. They will be studying the "Power of Seeds". Can a seed really flip a coin?