"Even if I knew that the world would go to pieces tomorrow I would still plant my apple tree." MLK, Jr

Carola United States: 30aq2y6eozmrc; Share

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Started this discussion. Last reply by Darrol Shillingburg Jul 10.

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Carola and Mo are now friends

Aug 24

Carola left a comment for Mo Aug 20

Ron left a comment for Carola Jul 29

Carola left a comment for Ron Jul 28

Hope left a comment for Carola Jul 14

John left a comment for Carola Jul 13

Profile

Where do you live and garden?: Southern California

How long have you been growing food?: forever!

About Me:: I've always loved gardening and cooking. When I retired from classroom teaching, these two loves came together in a dream job. I'm now teaching garden workshops in an inner-city school that incorporate all the things I love: gardening (including composting and vermi-culture), nutrition (cooking) and, even, music and art. And, I can take time off for Travels, whenever I want. I'm a happy gardener!
Technically, I'm a "Master Gardener" because I completed the training, but I say, "It's not that I know so much, but that I CARE so much" about gardening.
We recently removed our front lawn and replaced it with a low-water garden, including three raised vegetable beds. It's fun to watch the reactions of people walking by. I can see them from the kitchen window as we eat breakfast.
I'm doing what I can to improve our environment and live lightly on the earth. I hope that my students will want to do the same.
I love hearing about other people's gardens and seeing photos.
Happy gardening to all!

Dream garden travel destination:: Back to France... Potager everywhere!

Favorite foods:: All vegetables! Especially leafy greens.

GARDEN SONGS

Here's a link to a video of a Garden Song that I just received from my master gardeners network. (1/08)
http://current.com/items/76466682_the_garden_song
It's written and performed by a man in the Canary Islands.
He should join KGI. Wonder if he knows about us?

Another source of wonderful Garden Songs is the Banana Slug Band's CD, Singing in Our Garden. I use it with my garden classes.
Also, when I wanted music for a school garden slideshow, I put "garden" into the iTunes search and came up with some great ones. My favorite, and our theme song in The Global Friendship Garden, is The Garden Song by Arlo Gutherie. ENJOY!

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Carola's Blog

"A lazy shade of green"

A piece in the Los Angeles Times this morning got me thinking and inspired me to write to the paper for the first time. Was it an article on some emotional and controversial Environmental Hot Topic?? No. Just a rather touching personal essay about . . . Well, maybe you should read it for yourself. If interested, try Googling "A lazy shade of green" "Susan Straight." It's a little hard for me to explain what it's about. Anyway, the piece struck a chord with me. Here's the response I wrote to the… Continue

Posted on July 12th, 2008 at 12:06pm — 1 Comment (Add)

Talk About It... the Power of School Gardens

So, I've been asked to give a talk on The Power of School Gardens for an event in Los Angeles in June. Hundreds of schools recently received garden grants from the state of California. Isn't that amazing?? At a time when California schools are losing funding and are cutting back on all extras... those few extras that were left after all the previous cuts. And, even this grant cycle was cut short before the allotted funds were gone... But the funds already awarded are protected and so new school… Continue

Posted on May 19th, 2008 at 12:30pm — 3 Comments (Add)

Well, I Tried.

I knew I'd never find the time to keep up a Blog and I was so right. How can a "retired" person be sooo busy? Well, at least what ever it is that keeps me so busy is usually garden related. Or, traveling... and even that is usually garden related. I have two things to say. One: It is so (expletive delete) HOT!!! In my little "suburb" of L.A., where the ocean breezes usually keep us about 10 degrees cooler than even Long Beach (where my school garden grows)... It is SO HOT. 96 degrees in APRIL?… Continue

Posted on April 28th, 2008 at 5:27pm — No Comments (Add)

LEARNING TO BLOG...

I wonder if we can post photos with our blog entry? /Users/carolaclasen/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2008/Roll 1042/IMG_7887.JPG Well, I just tried it. What is that? Not a photo. Help, anyone.....? Anyone?

Posted on March 8th, 2008 at 12:34pm — 1 Comment (Add)

THINK I'LL START BLOGGING...

This was actually a message to Ian, but why not post it on my blog (I say to myself). Maybe some SCHOOL GARDEN types will see it and share their SCHOOL GARDEN experiences with me. Hope so. Leaving the camera at home sounds like something I would do. In fact, I did it this week. On Tuesday, I taught an amazing lesson for fourth graders in the school garden. We used seed packets and calendars and made a chart telling when our vegetables should be planted in order to harvest by July 10 (two weeks… Continue

Posted on March 8th, 2008 at 12:29pm — No Comments (Add)

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At 2:33am on July 29th, 2008, Ron said…: Hi again Carola

I had a peek at your photos and enjoyed them very much. They depict a life of bliss [and hard work] and happiness. I really liked no 19 as it gives out wonderfull contrasts. I see that one of your hens busied herself near a mushroom sign, do you grow edible mushrooms and, if so, how does one do this?

Regards

Ron

At 10:24pm on July 13th, 2008, Hope said…: Carola, I'm not sure how this would work, but I'd be happy to transfer administration of this group to someone else. I don't have nearly the time to maintain it that it needs.

At 2:40pm on July 13th, 2008, Carola said…: Thanks.
And, I'd love to see more photos.
Also, I was so excited to hear that you have a KITCHEN. I visited the Edible Schoolyard a couple of months ago and have been visualizing that kitchen ever since. I fell in love.
We cook on a little one-burner portable thing that I bought at Smart & Final. We have one picnic table that holds ten kids. It's certainly better than nothing, but I dream of a real kitchen, maybe an out-door one, where the kids can do more of the prep and cooking, themselves.
I'll post your programs description for the school garden group. Thanks. Carola

At 1:12pm on July 13th, 2008, John said…: Sure, go ahead. I have 100s of photos documenting all the work. I can post some of them from time to time.

At 10:50am on July 13th, 2008, John said…: Hello Carola, currently I am involved with three volunteer projects. My longest project is with Creative Connections Arts Academy. A charter school of about 360 kids K-8. We have a large outdoor garden area that includes 13 raised bed gardens, a few grapevines, and 43 fruit trees. We also have an area for an outdoor classroom. We have container gardens spread around the campus that grow annual flowers the kids start from seed and blueberries. The pride of the school however is our hummingbird and butterfly garden. The teachers use the various plantings for educational purposes and everything is maintained by the families about every 6 weeks.
I am also volunteering with Grant High School's GEO program where I teach propagation and nursery techniques. The students have their own product line of Salsa. My favorite is the peach. The gardens' host tours for all the neighboring elementary schools to tour the gardens. This provides a great experience for the high school students to work with the younger elementary students. This past spring we developed our on kitchen with generous support from a few foundations.
My proudest volunteer achievements however are with a supportive housing project for formerly homeless families. Serna Village located at McClellan Park, is home to over 200 fruit trees with 120 trees incorporated into the landscape and the rest are grown in containers by the families on their porches or balconies. The families have community raised bed gardens for the kids as well as the adults. The adults garden grows herbs, flowers, vegetables, berries and grapes.
The kids garden grows vegetables, chrysanthemums, a few citrus trees, and an assortment of flowering annuals they start from seed. This past year we discovered this great company called Wintersown seeds. For the cost of a couple of stamps and envelopes they send a variety of seeds to grow. What an amazing resource. The kids have grown many things we had never heard of before and have been impressed with the success of germination.

At 3:02pm on July 10th, 2008, Ian said…: hi Carola,

That's great news about you "almost daughter".

Here in Perigord thing are happening at a pace. I know what you mean about there simply not being enough hours in any day!

The garden is growing well but I made a lot of mistakes. The most obvious now is too little of too much. I planted a few of a variety of things and now I don't have enough of anything to do much with.

However, tomatoes are looking good with the first ones turning red and lots more on the vines. I have been picking various salad leaves for ages. I pulled the first couple of garlic in the week. The onions have not done very well. Plenty of top growth but not much in the bulb. I was eating the leaves though in salad earlier, but they are a bit tough now.
I have a row of potatoes just about ready to lift
lettuce and endive seem to be doing very well.
I lost all my root crop to some over vigourous weeding help!!!
The strawberries are plodding along but they were late in so any fruit is a bonus - They'll be good for next year. Rhubarb is good and I've been cutting for a few weeks
We lost all the tree fruits except apples to late frosts.

At 9:42am on June 28th, 2008, Penelope said…: Hi, I've noticed that groups, like Front Yard Gardeners aren't very active online, that notices about comments aren't forwarded to group members like they are in the regular forums. There's a new message asking about traffic fumes contaminating vegetables -- since lead is out of the gasoline are the issues the same? Maybe this should be a more widely disseminated question?

At 11:38am on June 4th, 2008, Barbara Ann said…: Hi, great to see your blog and learn about your work. It looks like you have visited MLKJr Middle School in Berkeley. I went and worked there for my externship for five months cooking for the school lunches and working and learning about the cooking and gardening classes. Keep up the good work.

At 11:22pm on May 28th, 2008, Elaine said…: When and where will you lecture in LA ? I am considering collaborating with another mom who has enthusiastically started our elementary school garden. My component would focus on cooking/nutrition. Thanks, Elaine