Thoughts: This is my favorite time of year. The weather is getting cooler, which makes it more fun to be outside. My garden is going strong. I’ve put a greenhouse on one side of our house, and I’ve replaced some old raised beds in our garden. My favorite holidays are in the fall as…

As we already know, fall is the perfect time for pumpkin and apples. Here is a how you can make delicious pumpkin bread with pumpkin butter using your homegrown pumpkins. This recipe is based from In A Pumpkin Shell by Jennifer Storey Gillis. How to Make Pumpkin Bread Pumpkin Bread Ingredients 3 cups of mashed, cooked pumpkin 1…

[vc_separator type=”” size=”” icon=”star”] Mystery Vine, by Cathryn Falwell, is not one of our featured classics or award winner books. However, it is a wonderful seasonal book with recipes included in the back to implement into your project groups or classroom! The book shares a story about planting seeds and watching them grow. The little…

After series of trials and errors, we finally discovered the tattoo your mother would approve. In fact, she might think it’s quite cool. Let us introduce you to the apple tattoo! Use this experiment to share the wonderful apple with your friends, teachers, leaders, and make it personal! DISCLAIMER – You can try using different varieties,…

  [vc_separator type=”” size=”” icon=”star”]   In the words of Jane Ray, “Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference…” Her story Apple Pip Princess is a prime example of children empowering the world. Serenity, the youngest princess, embarks a journey to earn the kingdom, but in turn gave hope to a lost…

Thursday October 16th, is Dictionary Day! To celebrate this unique day during October Book Month, we wanted to increase the garden vocabulary terms of our leaders and students. Please feel free to use the following basic list of terms as a resource for your classroom. Amending – Means to repair your soil quality by adding in…

[vc_separator type=”” size=”” icon=”star”]   This featured “Classic” by Linda White is timely for the fall season for pumpkin carving. The book tells a lively story about Rebecca Estelle’s dislike for pumpkins. Rebecca embarks on a journey that gives her a greater appreciation for gardening, community, and the special seasonal squash! Enjoy reading or following along with…

DIY: Paper Pots for Planting Do you enjoy crafting, recycling, and planting? Use these 10 easy steps to create a paper pot for planting! Newspaper is compostable; be creative and resourceful when you watch your plants grow. Fall is a great time to plant spring bulbs, pansies, trees/shrubs, and cool-season vegetables (examples: broccoli, carrots, chives,…

[vc_separator type=”” size=”” icon=”star”] Do you like apples? Do you like apple pie? As a part of National Book awareness month and Apple Month, we wanted to feature a story that incorporated both. Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie, by Robbin Gourley, is a wonderful short story that focuses on gardening,…

Meet Pat Ryan Meet Patrick (Pat) Ryan, a new guest blogger! He is the Education Specialist for the Alaska Botanical Garden in Anchorage, Alaska. Ryan took the Junior Master Gardener Specialist training in College Station is 2003, and started the JMG program for their Garden in 2004. The officially passed the 10-year mark of their program…