Bullington Gardens Monthly Activities Update-February 2018

    Our BOOST students received their seeds and have been busy planting their gardens. We are so excited to see their creativity bloom as they implement their designs. Students have to learn how to design, plant and decorate their garden on a very limited budget. Sometimes this means scavenging for design elements from the property and plenty of good old-fashioned elbow grease! They’ve also been helping to mulch the gardens to make way for new shrubs & trees.
    Our horticulture therapy groups are planting vegetable gardens with winter vegetables. Care must be exercised at every step to ensure their gardens are successful. Preparing the soil, caring for the seedlings and making certain the vegetables have the nutrients they need to survive is an essential part of vegetable gardening. It can also be taken as a metaphor for life and is one of the lessons we hope will stay with them.
    We are continuing with the Inheritable Traits classes in our Elementary School Program. John has been busy visiting local schools and sharing with them how plants and humans inherit their traits which includes an investigation into several kinds of plants and the specific inheritable traits that results in its likeness as well as discussing those traits not inherited. The discussion will also extend to animals and humans. This helps students explain why organisms differ from or are similar to their parents based on characteristics and gives examples of likenesses that are inherited and some that are not.
    John will have an article in the Hendersonville Times News this month on pollinators; an important aspect of every garden and a vital component in the food chain. One third of all agricultural output depends on pollinators. Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for one out of every three bites of food. Because Bullington Gardens believes so passionately in cultivating and nurturing pollinators, we will have Pollinator Packs on sale at our annual Spring Plant Sale. An easy way to cultivate pollination in your garden!
    This month we held our annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. John and Kelsey outdid themselves by cooking up some tasty soups including Vegetarian Chili, Chicken and Rice, Lentil and Ham and Three Bean Soup. They also served salad, garlic bread, corn bread and a whole bunch of tasty desserts. Volunteer Coordinator, Joellen Johnson, thanked all the volunteers for their dedication and hard work. More than fifty volunteers attended. Miniature Rose bushes were given as a token of our appreciation for the volunteers who work so tirelessly for Bullington Gardens. We couldn’t do it without them.
    Spring has come to Bullington Gardens early this year. The Daffodils, Hellebores and Magnolias are all blooming and vying for a spot in the warm sun. It’s the perfect time to visit and watch the landscape transform in front of your eyes. Not to mention enjoying the beautiful spring weather. Bring a picnic!