WELCOME BACK TO OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

Many volunteers worked during the summer to keep our garden alive. We are thrilled to return to this beautiful garden area. Vegetables harvested by students are incorporated into their school lunches. Teachers are incorporating the butterfly garden, sensory bed and raised vegetable beds into the curriculum. 

FES is participating in the Maine School Garden Network Open House on Sat., Sep. 28 from 10 am to 12 noon. Join us for a Garden Tour! You can also visit other school gardens in Greater Portland. More information is available at http://www.msgn.org/ and http://greeningschoolgrounds.wordpress.com/green-school-grounds-tour/

1st grade pizza garden

3rd grade Climbing Garden

4th grade Stew Garden

Shade Arbor with sunflowers

Butterfly Bush

Chard for the elementary cafeteria

Sensory Bed in September

We Grow and Learn in the Garden.

FES LEARNING GARDEN

On a sweltering Saturday in June more than 80 people came together to plant, move dirt, and create our learning garden. The pictures below show the hard workers who helped create the butterfly slope garden, the sensory garden and the raised vegetable beds.  This week classroom teachers have been planting vegetables in the raised beds.  Students and staff are enjoying the new outdoor learning space.  We look forward to sharing pictures in the fall of how our garden has grown.

Special thanks to everyone who came out on the 90 degree day to work and enjoy the event and:

• Local garden stores for discounting prices on plants and soil: Allen, Sterling and Lothrop, Skilins Greenhouse, Winslow Farms.
• Jeff Sanborn for donating his time to bring 3 truckloads of soil and mulch.
• Falmouth Master Gardeners who helped plan and plant: Carol Power, Alora Carrier and Sue Stillings.
• Falmouth Community Programs who will help us with Summer Maintenance.

Click on this link to see a video of our Planting party

The FES Wellness Team wishes you a healthy, happy summer. We hope our school gardens will inspire you to garden at home or to visit your local Farmers' Markets and support local farms. See you in the fall!

Garden Construction

The FES Garden Construction is underway! On Friday, May 17 Falmouth Public Works removed sod, graded the slope area and installed the boulder wall. The following day a group of staff, spouses and parents added raised beds, a terraced sensory garden area, a stone pathway and a pergola/bench.  

Garden Construction Video 

A special thanks to :

• Jay Reynolds and the Public Works Dept. of Falmouth
• Steve Hopkins of MAINEHOUSE Building and Design for donating the lumber and building the raised beds
• Tom Raatikainen for constructing the terraced sensory bed
• Gunnar Hubbard for constructing and designing the pergola/bench
• Jaime Parker of Portland Trails for his guidance in developing the stone pathway and providing hardscape materials 

We look forward to planting and celebrating with our Falmouth families ~ Click the link below for more information on our inaugural garden work day where you can Dig, Plant, move, Eat & Create

Garden day June 1st invite and information

June 1st RSVP

Town of Falmouth prepping the garden site

Assembling the handicapped accessible bed

Placing the walkway

Heavy lifting!

The work crew

                     

April Garden Update

The FES Learning Garden will be constructed in mid-May. We are planning a Garden Kick Off Day on Sat., June 1. On this day parents, students and teachers are welcome to come help us plant the perennial slope. More information will be forthcoming. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the garden, contact us at Falmouthgarden@gmail.com.

Pennies for Plants - A Success Story

Thanks to the generosity of the students, parents and staff of Falmouth Elementary School we raised $2,950.50.  This money will build a beautiful garden for all of us to enjoy for years.  Check out the pictures of the fundraiser fun below. 

Keep watching principal's notes for updated garden information.

THANK YOU FALMOUTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!
The Garden Committee

Kindergarten students filling the wheelbarrow with Pennies!