Monday, December 26, 2011

Garden Math = Hidden Treasure

Sharpen your pencils!

Q:  What do you get when you add 4 parents, 7 students and 2 hours of work?
Then add 4 loads of free bulbs?!
A:  Surprises are buried in the boulevards - about 200 of them!
Last spring, even in the hail, we put in all kinds of bulbs, free through Green Streets notices.  We have planted a variety of bulbs from Queen Elizabeth Park and City Hall.

The City of Vancouver Green Streets Program has about 500 roundabouts and traffic bulges throughout Vancouver now - and they started 'accidentally' when a bird feeder above a traffic calming bulge dropped seeds that sprouted sunflowers!  It started not far from Wolfe in a nearby catchment about 15 years ago - and is studied around the world.  We have a photo book in our library celebrating Green Streets.

Keep your eyes on those gardens for wee shoots of new growth as the days get longer and we head into spring!

The pencils above are in Mr. Russ Evans' classroom at Tupper, where Ms Ingram's Grade 7's have one more day to complete 4 planter boxes that will become 'crop' beds for students here at Wolfe.


Thanks to May Ke, Andrea Schnarr, Lisa Scott, Dana Kemes & Shera Paterson for planting last spring!
We look forward to the hidden treasures (and mystery of what colour was what!) emerging in the coming months as we head into longer days and warmer temperatures!