River Valley Area Community Gardens, Inc.
  • Home
    • About the Gardens
    • Directions
  • News
    • Deep Mulch Gardening Demonstration
    • Garden Notes
    • Programs >
      • Educational Seminars
      • Community Food Pantry Donations
      • Special Gardens
    • Events >
      • Brat Fries
      • Plant Sale
    • Videos & Audios
  • Student Gardening
    • Busy Bees >
      • Work Day
      • Meet and Greet
      • Planting Day
      • Busy Bees Day 2
    • Junior Gardeners
  • Garden Plots
    • Policies
    • Enabling Demonstration Garden
    • Garden Planning Resources
    • Garden Guidelines
    • Veggie Crops
    • Earliest Planting Dates for RVACG
    • Plant / Seed Quantity & Spacing for Row Planting
    • Covid 19 Guidelines
  • For Gardeners
    • FAQs
    • Gardening Resources >
      • Vegetables Resources
      • Fruit Resources
      • Flower Resources
      • Trees, Shrubs, Landscaping
      • Garden Management
      • Pollinators
      • Professional Resources
    • RVACG Soil Type
    • Garden Pests and Diseases
  • Contact
    • Support and Donations

Busy Bees Garden Club

Busy Bees Garden Club

The Busy Bees Garden Club is designed for children ages 3 to Grade 4 who are interested or curious about gardening, nature, the environment, butterflies and pollinators, the outdoors.
It is designed to get students outside and let them experience gardening and nature first hand.
Application for the program is required.  In 2023  the application is due by April 22. 

​There is a limit of 26 students for the program.   If there are more applicants than openings, we will keep a waiting list of families for the following year.

There is a Meet and Greet time on Sunday May 22 from 3:30 - 4:30 pm to meet instructors and become acquainted with the Gardens.  We will talk about planning what the students want to plant and then planting cool weather crops such as radishes, peas, onions, potatoes, 

The club meets from the first Tuesday in June through early August.  For 2023, the program starts June 6 and runs through August 1 with a family picnic on Sunday Aug 6 from 4:30 - 6 pm.
The first day of the program is always planting the student's raised bed with either seeds or seedlings.

We are asking for a minimum $5 donation per child to help with the costs of the program.    We also have 3 Culvers Share Nights coming this spring to raise additional funds for the program.  Those nights are Thursday, April 6, Thursday, May 11 and Tuesday, June 6 all from 5 to 9 pm at Culvers, Hwy 14 in Spring Green.  The Share Night funds are used to replenish the soil in the raised beds, repair the beds, purchase garden tools, seeds and seedlings for the students, and supplies for the learning activities that are planned.
​
Application information:​     Busy Bees Application             Busy Bees Flier     Note:  Mistake on Flier  Sunday May 21 Meet and Greet         ​

Garden Activities

​Children will learn the basics of gardening, it's importance and it's responsibilities through the planting, weeding, watering and caring for their own 2 x 4 ft raised bed.  The children will select their own vegetables and flowers for planting in their beds.
They will learn how to plant a seed or a seedling, mulch a garden, weed, and harvest.  They will also learn about soil, pollinators, pest control, weed prevention, and the importance of flowers.

Children will be given opportunities to pick and taste test fruit and veggies from the garden as it ripens.  They will also learn to give back to the community by harvesting veggies to place in the Free Veggies Kiosk on Westmor St

As time allows children may enjoy fun activities which may include a craft activity, story time, games, and scavenger hunts related to gardening and water fun. 

After frost, the group meets to clean raised beds and prepare the garden for winter.
In the spring, the group is invited to attend a work day to prepare the beds and garden for the upcoming growing season.

2023 Planned Curriculum with weekly garden tours and taste testing of veggies and fruits
TBA                      Garden preparation - Prepping beds, mulching pathways, etc.
Sunday May 21   Meet and Greet  Activity: Plant lettuce, radishes, onions, kohlrabi, etc - Cool weather crops
Tuesday June 6   Planting Day
Tuesday June 13  Plant growth, plant parts, water/irrigation
Tuesday June 20 Earthworms, soil health
Tuesday June 27  Weeds, mulch
Tuesday July 4     No meeting
Tuesday July 11     Pollinator / Bugs Day with Ms Tracy from DATCP
Tuesday July 19    Flowers / Bulbs / Rhizomes / Tubers / Pollen  Note: May be switched with July 26
Tuesday July 26    Art activity (Bowling Ball bugs)  Note:  May be switched with July 19
Tuesday Aug 1      Giving Back / Harvesting / 
Sunday Aug 6      Recognition Day / Family Picnic
​TBA                       Garden Clean-up 

Children's Garden

A communal garden has also been established to encourage students to work together and share veggies with others   Extra veggies are harvested and placed in the kiosk on Westmor St.

Parent Responsibilities

Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
​Parents or guardians are encouraged to participate along with their children.
​Parents or guardians are encouraged to bring their children to the garden between weekly programs and after the program ends to check their plants, water as necessary and harvest as the vegetables ripen.  

We Would Love to Have You Visit Soon!


Hours

Daily: 7am - 8 pm
Daylight hours

Telephone

1-608-588-6040

Email

info@rvacg.org
​
  • Home
    • About the Gardens
    • Directions
  • News
    • Deep Mulch Gardening Demonstration
    • Garden Notes
    • Programs >
      • Educational Seminars
      • Community Food Pantry Donations
      • Special Gardens
    • Events >
      • Brat Fries
      • Plant Sale
    • Videos & Audios
  • Student Gardening
    • Busy Bees >
      • Work Day
      • Meet and Greet
      • Planting Day
      • Busy Bees Day 2
    • Junior Gardeners
  • Garden Plots
    • Policies
    • Enabling Demonstration Garden
    • Garden Planning Resources
    • Garden Guidelines
    • Veggie Crops
    • Earliest Planting Dates for RVACG
    • Plant / Seed Quantity & Spacing for Row Planting
    • Covid 19 Guidelines
  • For Gardeners
    • FAQs
    • Gardening Resources >
      • Vegetables Resources
      • Fruit Resources
      • Flower Resources
      • Trees, Shrubs, Landscaping
      • Garden Management
      • Pollinators
      • Professional Resources
    • RVACG Soil Type
    • Garden Pests and Diseases
  • Contact
    • Support and Donations