We put a lot of thought into planning our garden and ongoing maintenance. Below are the important parts of how we manage our garden from planting to harvest. 

1. Create the space for growth
At the beginning of every year, we clear out most of our existing garden plots and make way for new planting. Many of them become overgrown and go to seed over the summer holidays. Sometimes we add new planter boxes or divide up existing ones. 

2. Decide groups and plots
We decide on which students will work together in groups on this project. To help with this, we think about which students will work best together and support each other. Groups usually have between 3-5 tamariki. The plots are then also allocated. They each have different advantages and disadvantages, including the amount of sunlight they get and the plot size. 

3. Research planting
In our groups, we find out all about which vegetables can be planted in Christchurch in February and March. Each group chooses two or three different varieties for their plots.

4. Planting
Plots are measured and planting positions are mapped digitally on photos as a guide. We then plant our seedlings and begin documenting our journey. 

5. Monitoring using our digital garden diaries
All of us document the progress of our plots using our diaries in Apple Pages, which we personalise in many ways. They are filled with information about our garden and how it’s going. 
  • The first section in our diary shows the research on our vegetables that we are growing, like how long it takes them to grow and if they are filled with nutrients and that’s a good page to try and find good facts about our vegetables.
  • The second section is about mapping our garden and finding out where we are going to plant our vegetables and finding out how much space they need apart.
  • The third section explains what it took to plant our vegetables and when we did and how we planted our plants.
  • The fourth page onwards are mostly our garden checkpoints (we have about 2 each term), where we write about what is happening in our plots, write wonderings and questions, take photos and measurements, and reflect on how well things are going in our groups. Towards the end of every year, we create digital graphs using the measurement data we have collected, then analyse them to evaluate how things have been going. ​
Why our diary is helpful
Our diary helps us to document our project and make our learning visible. From research to harvest, it tells the story from each of our own perspectives. Sections of our diaries are regularly uploaded to our Seesaw portfolios, which we can share and talk about with our friends and whānau.