Category Archives: Instructional Activities

Integrated Pest Management in the School Garden

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the term we use to describe the methods involved in controlling animals and insects in the garden.  Before listing them it is important to point out the following: 1) Not all insects in the garden are harmful. Familiarize yourself with who the good bugs aka beneficials are and those that […]

Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program 2012

Please read thoroughly. Applications are now available online only through Yvonne Savio. You must be on one of her email lists to receive application link. MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER TRAINING PROGRAM 13 Saturdays, March 3 – May 26, 2012, 9am-4pm January 6: Last Day to Get Onto Elist to Receive Application Link January 15: Last Day […]

Meet the Beneficials: Natural Enemies of Garden Pests

The University of California Integrated Pest Management Program has produced a very informative poster for identifying good bugs that prey on bad bugs. We call these call good bugs, beneficial insects. Meet the Beneficials: Natural Enemies of Garden Pests illustrates the various natural predators and parasites that feed on common garden pests. One example is […]

Soil Testing

Soil testing is sometimes necessary when putting in a new school garden especially if asphalt has been removed. Even an existing  garden can be tested to make sure the soil contains all the proper nutrients and is free from contaminants. Los Angeles County Master Gardener, Herb Machleder, offers this recommendation from Peaceful Valley Organic Garden […]

4 Tips for Starting a School Garden with Students

If you’re an elementary school teacher and searching for a way to get your students more engaged with the outdoors and less glued to computer monitors and TV screens, you should consider starting a school garden. Since Michelle Obama started the White House garden as part of her healthy eating and living initiative, many teachers […]

Edible Weeds

To some gardeners weeds are the bane of their existence, to others they are nothing more than plants growing where they shouldn’t. To some enlightened gardeners weeds are a delicacy. The secret really is knowing which are good weeds and which are bad weeds. Good weeds I will define as edible plants that are growing […]