Hannam Vale Public School

By Learning We Conquer

Telephone02 6556 7636

Emailhannamvale-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

2017

As 2017 started with heatwave conditions and bushfires, we undertook a small amount of Garden maintenance .....Thanks to Laurieton Landscape Supplies for the prompt delivery of a load of top soil, which we delved into and top dressed some vegie beds….but the temperature ruled the day, and the Gardeners ended up completing their Tool Licences in the cool of the K-2 Room!

There's a lot to happen in the Garden. The Kitchen group harvested basil and some herbs, but once again, we need to replant, but not right before the hottest temperatures on record hit us!! Kitchen Group – the Tomatoes – cooked up a delicious lunch of basil pesto and rice paper rolls, with a tasty garlic and lime sauce!

Our Team

 

 

team

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
clean up

 

 

Enjoying the garden

 

 

 

June

Kitchen/Garden was certainly happening this month We ate delicious pea and lemon pasta, quiches (cooked with our eggs) and a very fresh salad. We harvested sweet potato, herbs and two really fresh crunchy lettuces! Our lemons are local also!

The kitchen group also baked a very tasty lemon cake - the recipe for which is included in today's Newsletter! Our gardeners planted climbing sweet peas, beetroot and revamped the front garden, planting some jonquils. Interesting, we replaced the protea plant at the front of the school, and found it to be dead because it was WATERLOGGED! We are working on getting a better drainage set up for both of these plants at the school gate. We think the drainage trays are too tight altogether. We are going to try popping the pots on bricks…..strong smell of sulphur when we emptied the pot out!

 

July/August

The school holidays and very dry windy weather has been hard on our garden however, students have been busy mulching, weeding and watering  and doing some chicken coup maintenance.

 

Wheelbarror rejuvenation

 

 

Tree changing colours

 

 

 

Wheelbarrow gardening

 

 

 

Planting

 

 

Raking the leaves

 

 

Digging sweet potatoes

 

 

September

Kitchen/Garden happened the final Friday of third Term. We enjoyed delicious gnocchi, mini-quiches and mini meringues with cream and strawberries!

 

The gardening group planted zucchini's in the wicking boxes – all of which have popped up! We harvested the red cabbages, lettuces and herbs.

 

Our gardeners learnt about soil pH – we tested samples from several of our garden beds. Results were variable – and certainly provide us with some valuable information about what to add to the garden in the upcoming lessons.

 

 It was a very hot gardening session! It has been a tricky time for the garden, we have had to purchase water again (despite the forecast of rain). Despite my own and my families best efforts persevering with watering, the weather has not treated us kindly! Not to mention the ducks ATE the corn! ALL OF IT THIS TIME!!!!

 

A new chook feeder has been purchased with our monies also, and instructions regarding the feeding of the chooks will be reviewed with students this week.

We are preparing for the Hannam Vale Open Gardens on Sunday 22nd! Students who wish to help out with garden tours on the day are welcome to do so!

 

Enjoying lunch

pH testing

 

 

October

Lots of preparation in the garden after a very dry spring to get our garden ready for our annual Hannam Vale Open Gardens Day.

What a wonderful day this was! ….and every year it just gets busier and the P&C get more and more efficient at creating a friendly, attractive and happy atmosphere serving delicious food and drinks! Congratulations to you all

We had LOTS of people – with lots of questions and positive comments - through our beautiful garden! Thanks to Liz Rowley and students – Adam Partlett in particular - who helped out with guided tours and provided information about the HVPS Stephanie Alexander Kitchen/Garden Program.

The success of this event results because members of HVPS school community work as a (very formidable) team! Thank you to everyone that was involved!

Preparing

Preparing our garden

Our beautiful school playground

Our grounds

 

 

Visitors

 

 

Visitors and guides on Open Garden Day

Planting

 

 

Working hard

 

 

Wheelbarrow work

 

 

Harvest

 

 

November

We have harvested our beetroot!  Then we sold it and we hope everyone enjoyed it!

 

Our students with beetroot   More students with produce cart

We harvested cucumbers, squash, spinach, garlic and kale. Added to that were herbs – mostly thyme, mint and Thai basil. Others helped clear the beds a little more and planted some more Green Manure seeds….We also harvested some spring onion seeds!

Harvest

 

 

Compost

 

 

Bin

 

 

Weediing

 

 

The big project of the day was to clear around the compost bay, then create another compost bay out of the 6 hay bales from up near Mrs Stevenson's room. In very hot conditions we worked very hard! Our compost bay was reinforced with cardboard, and we popped some beginning compost into the bay. It is VERY original and creative – but I'm thinking it should work really well!

Hay

 

 

 

 

Identification

 

Our Kitchen Group cooked up a tasty lunch of Rice Paper Rolls – using our eggs and cucumbers- plus carrot vermicelli and tofu – accompanied by a delicious honey and lime vinaigrette. We had carrot and cumin fritters, with yoghurt, and finished with honey and pumpkin bread.