The Edible Garden Back to the Garden: Freedom for the Teacher. Freedom for the Child. For questions about this curriculum contact Jayne Cobb - jcobb@centermontessori.org or jccmet@aol.com This is a beginning draft of Permaculture lessons that I am contributing to Slow Food National - School Gardening Curriculum. I welcome your feedback. Working Title: Observing Natureʼs Plant Guilds Observing Nature for ideas in Edible garden systems. Objective: Learners will have a beginning understanding of the ways plant guilds work together so that all the plants benefit. Introduce the idea of a food forest. Learners experience the reasons for mimicking nature in garden design. Materials: Large popsicle stick plant plant markers. One for every two learners in the group. Identify by color or number. Preparation: Young Learners: Have a story of the 3 sisters in Native American culture ready to share. Introduce the idea of polyculture versus monoculture. 1.Have separate picture cards ready of corn, beans, and squash. a.field of corn b.field of squash c. field of beans 2.Have a picture card ready of corn beans and squash growing together. Older Learners: Use the same story and pictures, however give factual information about more complex guilds. Introduce concepts in nitrogen fixing and dynamic accumulators. Activity: 1.Present information on plant guilds or plant communities using the card materials to make a distinction between the 3 sisterʼs plant guild and plants growing on their own. 2.Ask each learner to connect with a partner and take the group into an outdoor natural environment. (Not a cultivated garden. Could even be a park nearby) 3.Clearly identify limits in outdoor space 4.Ask each partnership to find two or three plants, shrubs, ground covers, or trees that are growing close to each other.
5.Once the natural guild is found, encourage learners to closely observer their plant community. (2 to 5 minutes) 6.Ask learners to mark their guild and return to a central location. 7.When everyone has gathered take a tour of each marked location. Inquire as to ways these plants might benefit each other. Do you notice any plants that are providing shelter or shade for other plants? Are there any plants that are holding the soil and preventing it from washing away? Are their any plants that dropped their leaves for mulch? Encourage learners to notice that these natural systems do not need help from humans. They rely on each other and the natural weather patterns like rain and wind to survive. Discussion: If you were to plant a garden for food, what kinds of plants might benefit each other? What kinds of food could you grow in a food forest? If the food crop had its own system for holding water in the soil, would you need to water the garden? Would you have to fertilize? What kinds of edible plants make good protection and shade? What kinds of plants have long roots? Follow up: Design a simple guild system with learners. Consult plant hardiness zones and information on microclimates before you begin. It is helpful to communicate with members of your community that have a working established guild. Using resources like: Integrated Forest Gardening Perennial Vegetables Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist Gaiaʼs Garden Carrots Love Tomatoes For a beginning guild design consider: Integrated Forest Gardens suggestion: Salsa Garden Guild p. 259 This is fast growing, suitable for many biomes, zones 3-9, and it relates to animal cultures such as bees, beetles, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Working Title: Forest Systems or Mimicking Forest Systems Objective: To introduce the learner to the manner in which a food forest system works. Permaculture concepts such as stacking function are also introduced. Materials: 1. A set of laminated cards with the above names printed in large type. Use yarn or string to make a necklace for each card so that it can hang around the learnerʼs neck. 2. Information as a separate hand out or on the backs of the cards that give food forest examples of each layer. Ex. Rhizosphere: Carrots, ginger, horseradish 3. Short stool. (optional) 4. (Optional)Food forest costumes: a. Canopy: A pair of green gardening gloves that have felt leaves glued to the finger tips. A hood or drape for the head and shoulders that is also covered in felt leaves.
b. Low Trees: A short cape that can be tied about the shoulders covered in felt leaves. c. Shrub: Same as low tree d. Herb (Herbaceous): Same as Low tree e. Ground cover: Long narrow cape with leaves glued to the cape. A tie is at the neck f. Root (Herbaceous): A shoe cover that has brown yarn for roots glued to it. g. Vining (Vertical): Long green felt strip - leaves glued to it like a vine. 2. Background information on the mutually beneficial aspects of a food forest. Inquiry questions for each layer. 3. Extension preparation: Picture cards could be made and laminated. Each card is an example of species in layers. Color codings could quickly separate the various layers For example: for the herbaceous layer cards: fennel, mint, comfrey, parsley and basil. Preparation: 1. Put stool in the center of the room. 2. If using costumes have ready. 3. Lay out necklaces. 4. Have support materials ready. Activity: 1. Sit in a circle and explain to learners that we will be making discoveries about a food forest. Note that there are 7 different layers and you will need a student to portray each layer. Each student of 7 learners will have a part. Advise the students that you will do the exercise multiple times should you have more than 7. 2. Learners are advised that like plants they can move very gently as if blowing in wind, however their feet stay motionless on the ground. 3. Canopy: Gloves are donned and the child stands on the stool with outstretched hands. 4. Low Trees: A short cape is donned and the learner stands with hands on hips next to the canopy 5. Shrub: A short cape is donned and the learner kneels under the canopy. 6. Herbaceous: A short cape is donned and the learner sits on the floor.
7. Ground cover: A Long narrow cape with leaves tied around the neck and the learner lays on the floor. (If activity is done outside, provide a towel) 8. Rhizosphere: A cover that has brown yarn for roots is used to cover shoes. Discussion: What yield will I get from this guild? What will it produce? Which plants or layers might shade and protect other plants? What plants might shelter wildlife? Which layer might drop leaves for mulch? What plants might fertilize the soil? What layer might hold water in the guild? What layer might prevent soil erosion? Follow up: Design a simple guild system with learners. Consult plant hardiness zones and information on microclimates before you begin. It is helpful to communicate with members of your community that have a working established guild. Using resources like: Integrated Forest Gardening Perennial Vegetables Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist Gaiaʼs Garden Carrots Love Tomatoes For a beginning guild design consider: Integrated Forest Gardenʼs suggestion: Salsa Garden Guild p. 259 This is fast growing, suitable for many biomes, zones 3-9, and it relates to animal cultures such as bees, beetles, butterflies, and other pollinators.