SOLSC #6 - Planting Ahead

To read my student's posts on the
Classroom SOL challenge click here

Introduction: Hello and welcome to my blog! This is the third year I have participated in the SOLSC and also the third year for my students as well! I teach students, ages 11-14, in a multi-age classroom at The Logan School for Creative Learning in Denver, CO. This year, I am hosting students from all three middle school classes and they are participating on a volunteer basis (with a few prizes thrown in for inspiration). I'm looking forward to being part of this amazing community again!

Planting Ahead

Last fall, there was a sale on bulbs and on impulse, I bought big packs of crocuses, tulips and daffodils. We had put in some bulbs a few years ago and we have a some nice patches around the house that color up each spring. Living in Denver, it usually means that they are bright a vibrant for a few days before being covered in inches of spring snow and melting away until next year. Nonetheless, I was excited to plant a 150 new spring bulbs.  Then life happened. I'm not sure now why I was so busy but that bag of potential sat in the garage, noticed only when I wanted to feel guilty. This spring, the crocuses that have been around for years are brilliant and the tulips and daffodils are pushing their way through the earth, full of promise. And I can see the bare patches the bulbs in my garage should fill.

Yesterday and today, the spring weather was amazing and I was itching to do some yard work (that's relatively rare). So after some initial clean up of winter debris I pulled out the bag of bulbs and started planting. We made it a family project and all three of us dug holes, dropped in bulbs and covered them again with dirt. 150 bulbs goes a long way and we planted some areas I had never even thought of. We talked about how wonderful it will be when the sprout!

"I'm excited to see them soon," my daughter said while tamping dirt over a tulip's heart shaped bulb (She would like to remind the reader she is five-and-a-half, not five like I said in yesterday's blog).

"Well...," I said, "We're kind of planting ahead this spring. These flowers won't come up for a year because they need weeks of cold weather for them to sprout. But imagine how beautiful they will be!"

She could imagine, but asked why we were planting things that would take so long to grow. We talked about trees, flowers, bushes and all the things that were planted long before they 'bore fruit' and we are so happy that they did! She said, "Okay," made a final pat on the bulb and moved on. I guess she was satisfied with the answer, but I decided I definitely was. I can't wait for next spring!