Judy Terry
| Special to the Press-Citizen
It seems it is not enough for some City High School students to have grown a very productive, beautiful garden behind their building. They are now trying to plant the moon.
Oh yes, you read that correctly, the moon.
Mary Lestina, who teaches classes in environmental science, explains she has about 20 teams already in her four classes who are, as she says, “designing and conducting experiments that will use a simulated lunar substance to grow the best crop. It is a national competition, reflecting the Artemis space mission that will go to the moon and then to Mars.”
These students are definitely up for a challenge. The challenge before was much more down to earth, literally, as they planned and planted the special garden behind the school.
Mary showed Paula Sanan and me, representing the Iowa City Four Seasons Garden Club, what the school garden club had produced these past months.
Tomatoes, from cherry to yellow pear to large heirlooms, were still producing when we visited in mid-September. Pepper plants, both green and a mild red, flourished. Rosemary and garlic had been planted, as well as walking onion bulbs.
Marigolds were blooming in several of the raised bed gardens, for wonderful color and hoping to deter interested animals. Mary said they really had few hungry visitors. When we were there only butterflies flew from flower to flower and a hummingbird stopped for a quick drink.
Many pumpkins were grown and all but one had been picked then, keeping them safe for later this month. A picture Mary took shows a beautiful, healthy pumpkin that would make a great pie, I think.
Remembering how the Native Americans taught the pilgrims growing techniques, the club planted what was called “the three sisters.” Corn was seeded first, then beans to grow up the stalk. Squash was planted at the bottom to shade the roots and add nutrients to the soil.
All the seeds are started late winter or early spring and are grown in the greenhouse that was built with the school in 1937. The greenhouse is getting much more use now from these City High student gardeners. They choose unusual and rare seeds for the common vegetables they grow — I had not heard of many — but it appears they have great success.
This club is not large, only 11-strong right now. It was a worry, Mary said, how to keep the garden watered all summer with school not in session. It was not a problem, after all, as each member signed up for a week and came each day to water and check the plants. Certainly a tribute to their enthusiasm and to their teacher.
Judy Terry is a gardening columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen
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