jdixon08

My last meeting I had with Ms. Clark Evans about senior project was quite inspirational. When I went into the meeting, I was worried because I'd talked to some gardeners around my neighborhood, and everyone had told me that growing a garden in pots in the middle of winter wasn't a good idea. Apparently it's okay to start off your plants inside when they're seeds, but once they've reached a certain point indoors, they'll stop growing, or won't grow properly. So I was worried about that, since that's a big part of my application for this project. Instead, Ms. Clark Evans and I discussed what I should do as a new game plan. We decided that my project's going to be in reverse, sort of, by ending with the garden and starting with the written document. My idea for my written document is a guidebook to basic knowledge about herbs and what they can be used for, as well as a recipe book for some of the things I want to learn how to make. I'm planning on also having a part where I tell how to grow certain plants too, by keeping notes and taking pictures from my own learning experience later when I can start my garden.

 Ms. Clark Evans gave me a flyer from a place called Miller Farms Market, and on the flyer it was mentioned that they sell various herbs, which made us think that maybe I could go check this place out, and maybe buy some supplies from them. I haven't called the phone number yet on the flyer, but I did go to their website and tried to find more information about it that way. It said that they start selling plants and all the items I'd need for starting the garden in March, and the fresh herbs come out in the month of april. The website didn't say if they sold the supplies for starting seed growing during january or feburary, but since the items are pretty standard and can be easily stored, I assume they're sold all year around. The fresh herbs they sell in April seem pretty extensive; they had a picture up on their website of rows and rows of labelled trays full of plants next to the information. My plan is in april to buy maybe one or two of their plants, since I'm guessing their plants will mature and be raised better than mine will, and it would be nice to have a comparism for my project, no matter how badly it might make my own garden look. I called Miller Farms and asked about their plants, and they told me that most of the herbs they have are common ones, for household purposes. Fortunately, most of my remedies only require the things they probably have. I'm still going to seek out the odd herbs, but for basic needs, I think this place will be good. I'm planning on visiting sometime this weekend, probably on saturday.

I've been having trouble focusing on my project lately, and keeping track of dates, apparently. I missed one of my meetings with ms. clark evans, because I'd forgotten which week exactly I was supposed to go, or how many weeks it's supposed to be. Ms. Aldrow said it's good if we'd meet every two weeks, so I guess I just lost track of which week I was supposed to go in. I'm planning on going for a meeting starting october 3rd, and noting in my planner every two weeks, in big bold letters "MEETING 3RD PERIOD TODAY". The problem with missing the meeting this time was that I just didn't write it down.

In my last meeting with Ms. Clark Evans, we talked about possible places for me to grow an herb garden during the winter, since Matt Hussmann isn't able to do his greenhouse side project. We thought that I could ask permission from the head of the lower school and see if any of the lower grades would like to have me teach them about what I'm doing. Then, I'd be able to grow my plants indoors for the winter. But then I went home and talked to my grandparents about it, and thought that since they've grown and tended to loads of plants before, that if I grew the plants in my house, it might be better for them overall. That way, I'd have them nearby and could give more attention to them, and if I thought I was doing something wrong and really didn't know what to do, I could ask my grandparent's advice. Since it would be in the house, they'd be able to look at the plant and help me out. So, I'm going to ask my grandpa about what I'd need to start a raised garden in my basement. We have most of the supplies, I think (other than the raised garden structure itself, which I'm planning to get a hold of in the next few weeks).

This next week I don't think I'm going to get much senior exhibit work done, because SAT's are this saturday, and my grandparents are more concerned that I study for it right now. My plan is to at least look at some raised gardens online and see which ones might work best in my house, and then make a list on what each plant needs. I think if those guidelines are set out, then all my planning will be taken care of, and I can start the garden!

This is interesting, my first senior journal blog. I'm writing it a bit later than I would have liked, but with several houseguests over and partly due to my poor management of free time, I'm posting now.

Seniors had a meeting today from five to six pm about college planning. I talked to Matt Hussmann about our senior projects and we both came up with an idea that could help out my project. For my own project, to expand on my learning about herbalism, I'd thought it would be a good idea to raise some of my own herb plants, the ones commonly used in the alternative medicine practice. Thus far my idea hasn't been going over well, just because I don't know where I'd put the garden. But while I talked to Matt, he told me about his architecture project, and how he'd originally wanted to build a greenhouse as part of it, which would be located on his property. I told him about my problem, and he got super excited, saying that he'd love to share his greenhouse with me if he can get it built. Tomorrow I'll talk to him more, since he said he had to go home and ask his parents if it's okay to build a greenhouse on his property. If he gets the okay, then the plan is to have it built in a week or two (but I'm guessing it'll take longer). I offered to help building it, since if this idea works our projects are the same for a while. I think it would be good if it happened, because that means I can get started on planting my seeds right away and they'd be decently grown and in bloom by the time the senior project presentation came around. My only concern is, how to present this part of the project to the panel of judges? Do I drive them all up to Matt's house, or do I transplant all my plants, take pictures, a video of it, etc? I guess I'll figure out that part later.

Tomorrow I also meet with Ms. Clark Evans, so I'll run this idea by her too.

I'm excited about it! Matt and I have so many ideas about it. He wants to use half of the greenhouse, for landscaping and other business he has with his own part of his project. He wanted to landscape my plants, but for the sake of doing my part of the project myself I said no. I ought to tend to them myself, it's the only way I'm going to learn about them, through hands-on experience. I guess he could buy some fancy pots to put them in, if he really wanted. :-) But as far as the upkeep and growing of the plants, that'll be my job.

I'm pretty tired now, so I'll wrap this up. My first journal that is now a blog... interesting!