The School Garden Podcast

Season 2: Ep 15. Summertime in the School Garden

Summer plans? Yes, friends, you made it! Giddy with garden freedom, Anne and Mary Jo talk about their summer plans and reintroduce last year’s Summer Gardening Episode. Whether it’s a needed daily summer garden fix or a hands-off, peace-out-see-you-in-August approach, this episode will help you plan what your school garden will look like this summer. Podcast Outline 00:42: Introduction to summer episode: our summer plans and previews of future episodes-think shelf stable foods and gathering data for your garden program 07:40: Watering 09:08: Weeding 09:45: Solarizing 11:16: Humidity and air ventilation 12:16: Harvesting 13:27: Putting Beds to Bed! 14:06: Cover Cropping 15:20: What Can We Still Plant in the Summer?  16:55: Pests in the Garden 19:20: Thinking and Planning for the Fall 21:40: Making Shade 24:03: Produce Slow-Down 26:26: Pickle Update! 29:10: Conclusion and Wishing Everyone a Great Summer Break … in the Garden or out.  Pickle Recipes:  Here is the recipe I used for the ⁠Dill Pickles⁠ [https://www.loveandlemons.com/dill-pickles-recipe/]. I particularly enjoyed putting in flowering dill heads into my brine as my plant is at this stage - it gave it such a mellow dill flavor.  Here is the recipe I followed for the ⁠Bread and Butter Pickles⁠ [https://www.billyparisi.com/bread-and-butter-pickle-recipe/] (minus cloves, as I don’t like cloves and I went 1/3 less on the sugar).  Stay in touch with us! Email us: podcast@madegreene.com Find us on Instagram and Facebook at MadeGreene www.madegreene.com

Season 2, Ep. 14: The Sweetpotato Episode

Yes, you read that right - Sweetpotato all one word - it’s official! Join Anne and Mary Jo as they slip into everything you need to know about making sweetpotatoes a staple in your school garden this summer.  From spellbinding Latin taxonomy to a classic classroom Venn diagram - this episode has it all. Plus, Mary Jo may be packing her bags for North Carolina and discover just how far Anne will go in pursuit of the perfect sweetpotato cure. It’s science and storytelling with a huge helping of classroom-to-garden goodness. Podcast Outline: 00:20 - Intro 00:42 - Welcome to the Sweetpotato Episode  1:06 -  How was your week? Counting in 2s with Basil  05:23 - Intro and History of The Sweetpotato Plant 08:13 - Growing in Colder Climates 09:05 - The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission - Website and Resources https://ncsweetpotatoes.com/curriculum/ Sweetpotato is one word! Sign the Petition here [https://ncsweetpotatoes.com/blog/sweetpotato-is-one-word-sign-the-petition/] 14:45 - The Differences of Irish and Sweetpotato - Venn Diagram Style! 20:02 - Starting Sweetpotatoes by Slips  25:05 - Breaking off / Harvesting Sweetpotato Slips  26:08 - Ornamental and Non-Ornamental Sweetpotato Vines 28:52 - How to Plant Sweetpotato Slips  31:05 - Caring for Sweetpotato Plants 34:10 - Harvesting Sweetpotatoes 38:48 - Curing Sweetpotatoes and Storage 43:11 - Eating and Tasting 44:56 - The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission Jingle! 47:19 Outro Stay in touch with us! Email us: podcast@madegreene.com Find us on Instagram and Facebook at MadeGreene www.madegreene.com

Season 2: Ep 13. Teatime in the Garden

Pop the kettle on and join Anne and Mary Jo as they spill the tea! Listen alongside as we show you how to celebrate your garden in a cup. From herbal teas to fresh water infusions, refreshing aguas frescas, and smoothies—garden tastings don’t have to be just about eating… sipping with your students is just as sweet! Plus, Mary Jo creates a manifesto where every household owns a teapot and Anne ponders the notion of cold days.  Podcast Outline 00:41 - Intro 01:31 - How Has Your Week Been, Anne?  03:29 - Introduction to Teas in the Garden 05:50 - Reasons Why We Should Incorporate Tea into Your Garden Program 12:24 - The History of Tea 14:02 - The Origins of Tea: From Medicine to Daily Taste 16:45 - The Tea Plant: Camellia sinensis 21:17 - Using Fresh Herbs for Tea 25:44 - Using Tea Bags and Dried Herbs 32:12 - Equipment and Materials Needed  34:41 - Hot Water Considerations  35:40 - Other Considerations for Tea Making 36:54 - Kids Pallets and the Sweetness Situation 40:08 - Butterfly Pea Tea: Color and Science.    43:57 Can we eat it? Edible or Ornamental 45:48 - Water Infusions / Cold Teas 49:20 - Agua Frescas 51:00 - Smoothies Listen to the After School Cooking Club Episode 53:15 - Outro  Helpful Resources Butterfly Pea Plant [https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/butterfly-pea/] Butterfly Pea Tea [https://www.theblurrylime.com/diy/butterfly-pea-flower-tea/] Herbal Tea Combinations and Drying Herbs. [https://www.gardentech.com/blog/gardening-and-healthy-living/growing-and-brewing-your-own-tea] Agua Fresca recipes [https://veggiesociety.com/how-to-make-11-agua-frescas-recipes/] Garden Smoothies [https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2021/02/16/garden-green-smoothie/] For more tasting and smoothie ideas, listen to Season 2. Episode 9 - The After-School Cooking Clubs Episode [https://open.spotify.com/episode/52lJQHqnqjQniMn7Ejh3Hw?si=-ziv9nOxQ4KPij3XRvpQcA]

School Garden Mentorship Opportunity

Are you and your garden committee in need of some support and mentorship? In this episode Mary Jo talks with Laura Thomas and Peggy Word from The Eden Project UT. Listen along as they discuss their organization and share details about their nationwide school garden coaching program, SproUTing Teachers. With two pathways to choose from—Individual Teaching Coaching or Group Garden Leadership Coaching to support your whole committee—this mentorship course is designed to set you and your garden program up for long-term success and sustainability. Applications for the 2026–2027 school year are open now through May 1st, 2026. Eden Project UT Website: https://www.edenut.org⁠ [https://www.edenut.org/] More Information about the Coaching Programs: https://www.edenut.org/programs [https://www.edenut.org/programs]  Application Link: SproUTing Teachers [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf8fUeXo5glhZArACHKypworIJadc26Fzxa-AYFkSXCj3s6ow/viewform]

Season 2: Ep. 12 The Microgreens Episode — Micro yet mighty!

Small crop, big impact! Join Anne and Mary Jo as they dig into the when, how, and why of growing microgreens—and why this lightning-fast crop deserves a big place in every school garden program. Along the way, Mary Jo makes a GSA, Anne contemplates the fine art of flushing, and we explore how this tiny crop can inspire macro-sized entrepreneurial ideas for older students. Because when it comes to microgreens, a little really does grow a lot. Podcast Outline: 00:40 - Episode Intro 01:40: How Was Your Week - Embrace the Scruffy! 06:33 - Microgreens Introduction  08:31 - What to Grow and Why Grow Them  - Quick Growers - Radish, Broccoli, Mustard, Kale, Cabbage (green and red), Arugula and Turnip (0 - 2 weeks) - Longer Growers - Sunflowers, Peashoots, Basil, Carrot, Beet, Chard, Cilantro, Fennel, Dill, Parsley (2 - 4 weeks) 11:09 - Amaranth Red Garnet Amaranth - True Leaf Market. Link here [https://trueleafmarket.com/products/amaranth-sprouting-red-garnet-seeds-conventional?srsltid=AfmBOoo-c_WNEYjPsKsIsGKeYFPYL30mp06HCHbHa4r_ODbBn-62rpHg] 16:11 - How to Grow Microgreens 21:41 - When Are They Ready and Harvesting 22:45 - Classroom Activities with Microgreens 28:10 - Making a Business or Fundraiser from Microgreens - ideal for older students 36:10 - Outro and Thanks for Listening - Keep Flushing!