2017 is the 25th consecutive year Master Gardener Volunteers have offered a summer gardening program for children through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. Growing interest in this program has led to a renovation of the garden, including a new pergola and paved walkway, hoop houses for growing early and late season vegetables, as well as identification and special care of many pollinator-friendly plants in the garden.
Popular projects for the 2017 Children’s Garden program include:
- Making newspaper pots, and then potting up seeds and transplants to bring home to grow
- Identifying weeds by making weed ID books to bring home for future use
- Learning about the various garden areas and the variety of butterflies, birds, and insects attracted to them
- Adding food scraps to our 3-bin compost system and learning why “Rot Rules” in the soil kingdom
- Planting square-foot gardens to grow food in raised beds
- Harvesting vegetables and fruit from the hoop house, raised beds, and teepee
- Playing in the bean teepee, sunflower house, and gazebo
Favorite activities from previous years include a visit from the Worm Lady, a tour of the Butterfly House at the Farm, a wagon ride tour of the Farm, and much more. On the last day of the program, we’ll enjoy a celebratory feast, prepared from bounty we harvest from the garden.
The 2017 program provides a hands-on gardening experience for children. Children ages 5 and up are best suited for the program, which is not parent participatory. They will be divided into two groups – ages 5 to 8 years and 9 to 12 years – with age appropriate activities for each group. All children will keep nature journals to record their time/experiences in the summer program at the Children’s Garden.
The eight-week gardening session will meet on Wednesday mornings July 5 through August 23 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. The Children’s Garden is located at the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank.
Interested? Click here for a registration form.
Want more information? Call Donna Alese Cooke at 631-727-7850 x225
Let’s all give a warm welcome to Donna Alese Cooke, the new Community Horticulture Specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. No stranger to Cornell Cooperative Extension, Donna comes to us with experience in education and extension having worked with Master Gardener programs in both Orange and Rockland Counties, and is a Master Gardener herself. Donna is a graduate of the Ornamental Horticulture Program at Farmingdale State College and has a graduate degree in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology. Donna jumped right in to the busy summer activities on June 19.
