As the number of warm days dwindle down, our students spend as much time as possible preparing their community garden for the winter! During this work day, we focused on weeding, raking, and composting several beds. The students also planted cold-hardy greens for the winter, such as kale and bok choy, and began digging a trench for daffodil bulbs.
The community garden beds were in much need of some water and compost!
This garden is also one of many that is involved with the Bronx Hot Sauce project, in partnership with GrowNYC. The students grow and harvest chili peppers that are used in this locally famous hot sauce, and part of the proceeds are then returned to the garden! Some brave students even tried a pepper, although most regretted not having a drink nearby.
Chili peppers for the Bronx Hot Sauce are ready to be harvested.
We also visited the site where the school's personal garden will be expanding. Although the original garden site is inaccessible due to current construction on the school, it will nearly double in size by the time all repairs are finished!
Behind the fence is the school's first garden site, which will nearly double in size after this excavated area has been finished.