Soup and Salad Children's Garden

Children’s Day is Saturday, June 6th and that means it’s time to plant the Children’s garden! This year Scott Koepke, the education and outreach coordinator for New Pioneer Food Co-op’s Soilmates program, will focus on root crops and greens, like potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, and lettuce – perfect ingredients for soup and salad. We’ll also grow sunflowers to make a natural trellis for cucumber vines to climb, and we’ll plant more herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, parsley, and basil to compliment the cilantro and dill that self-seeded from last year. The perennial flowers are back and stronger than ever, providing biodiversity for important pollinators and beneficial insects.

Scott reports that the garden soil condition is extremely healthy and happy. Compost and cultivated rye grass are providing tremendous nutrients.  As we know, healthy soil is the foundation for healthy plants.

We’ll need your help on Children’s Day to sow seeds around the edge of the garden and to make row signs for each type of plant. Reminder: All produce harvested from the Children’s Garden is donated to Table To Table, which provides food for the area’s hungry, homeless and at-risk population.