Truro Public Library

We welcomed Lou, a new volunteer and Judy is back from last year. Yea volunteers! The kids transplanted the nasturtiums from the paper pots by removing the bottoms and planting them at the ends of two beds. Each child took a turn planting scored morning glory seeds in a tray as well as sowing yellow and orange carrot seeds and white and scarlet radish seeds in rows in the second bed. Sunflower seeds were also planted in the covered bed and everything was labeled and watered.

• transplant nasturtiums from paper pots
• sow a row of carrots and a row of radishes
• plant sunflower seeds
• label and water

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Truro artist Janice Redman led participants in beginning to create their own individual felted pieces to later combine into a banner for the Truro Ag Fair. Each child began their garden plots with brown or green raw wool and then designed what and who might be in them. The wet felting process will begin on June 8 with lots of hot water, olive oil soap and rolling

• Gather dyed raw wool, bubble wrap, towels and dowels
• Demonstrate laying out a wool garden plot
• Encourage children to imagine what they would like to see in their garden

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We welcomed Polly, a new volunteer and Jack is back from last year. Francie and Anna brought over 7 children from the after school program at Truro Rec. More tomato seedlings were transplanted into larger pots and the rest of the lettuce for the third bed went into the ground. Lots of watering happened and we noticed a volunteer nasturtium plant from last year.

• continue transplanting tomato seedlings into bigger pots
• space lettuce so there’s enough room to grow
• water and notice

Today the children planted basil seeds in their paper pots to take home as well as in larger pots to leave here inside the library for later planting in the garden. Everyone took a turn transplanting Sweet 100 and Big Boy tomato seedlings into larger pots as well as harvesting the arugula and mache in the garden for the Truro Central School lunch and then planting Defender Green Romaine lettuce, Poc Choi and collards in the third bed.

• make paper pots
• plant basil seeds in pots
• transplant tomato seedlings into larger pots
• harvest last of the winter crops
• plant lettuce, pok choi and collards

After a game of Tag You’re Fit, Francie gathered everyone into a circle for a snack and a plan. Stephanie brought Dave’s paper pot maker to teach us how to make recycled pots using newspaper with an oak handle and base. The kids worked on their journals and pulling the rest of the spinach as well as planting and watering more peas. We brought over the compost bin closer to the garden and rinsed the spinach in cold water to bring to the Truro Central School for their school lunch.

• make paper pots using newspaper
• draw and write a journal entry
• harvest winter vegetables
• plant peas and water
• rinse vegetables with cold water

We explored the external and internal anatomy of a horseshoe crab using a gigantic model and had a chance to touch and hold a live horseshoe crab with Nina from the Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Horseshoe crabs were once used as fertilizer by Native Americans and early settlers. We also released 1500 ladybugs donated by the 4-H Cape Cod Cooperative Extension into the garden.