Theme: One Month Later (Success!)

Good morning, Everyone, Everywhere!

It's been one month exactly since the "science experiments" from our school gardens began in my backyard! 

I want to share with you their progress (or lack thereof!):

Remember the succulents in the cat dish and the coconut milk can? They're still alive and I continue to save containers for future projects:

I notice when I look at these photos side by side, that these succulents don't look like they are thriving. 

They are yellow and shrinking. 

I wonder why?... It could be too much water, too many extreme temperature swings, or, a whole bunch of other factors!

It reminds me of other times I've seen succulents doing well. 

How can I recreate that in my yard?

*For more information on doing science with the "I notice, I wonder,  It reminds me of..." method, visit our friends from Lawrence Hall of Science here: http://beetlesproject.org/resources/for-field-instructors/notice-wonder-reminds/

***This is EXACTLY why we (scientists and gardeners!) keep journals and record our observations! 

This information tells us how to best grow our plants. 

(And don't worry, there will be an entire blog entry on 'failure' on Wednesday!)

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Here are more "one month later" photos:

  

These cucumbers are doing really well! 

Some will stay here in my backyard and some will go back to school!

 

I have already replanted some of the English cucumbers and pickle cucumbers!

These tiny basil seedlings will hopefully continue to grow:

Remember the video on planting things that you might have already in your kitchen?

I tried carrots, celery, ginger, turmeric, and garlic:

Not a whole lot happening with the ginger, but it's only been 1 month!

    

And I had planted 3 small individual cloves of garlic and I now have 3 big heads of garlic!

...And remember the toilet paper tube sunflowers and winter squash???? 

Here they are before and after:

I also planted two of the sunflowers in a large pot. 

I planted the entire toilet paper tube and they're doing very well:

 

This is my favorite science experiment, but unfortunately, I didn't photograph the "before." 

I had eaten a kabocha squash and literally took the smushy inside parts with the seeds and covered the entire thing with soil! 

Amazingly, a LOT of the seeds sprouted!

*We will be eating kabocha squash this fall when we go back to school! 

Alright gardeners and scientists - I hope your home plantings are going well - and even if they're not, keep trying!