November Project Ideas

November

November Projects

 

Theme-Pumpkins

Project-Fresh fall arrangement in carved out pumpkins. 

Ed Talk/Activities-Discussed members or curcurbita family, showed examples and samples of other members, talked about how pumpkins were grown and interesting facts about pumpkins (largest ever and nutritional value etc.), talked about the variety of things you can make with pumpkins.  Told a couple of pumpkin jokes and served roasted fresh pumpkin seeds to taste.  MH/LN

 

Theme-Dried Flower Arrangement

Project-Used ceramic mini-loaf pans ($1.50 from Michaels).  Used sahara foam and dried materials including: eucalyptus, iris pods, sea oats, hydrangea, blue statice, pink and red gomphrena, baby’s breath, tansy, verbena, yarrow, echinacea seed heads, and grasses.  Ilex crenata used for greening the edges of the container.

Ed Talk/Activities-Discussed plant materials used.  LH

 

Theme-Thanksgiving

Project-Arrangement in a shiny black container with lots of fall colored leaves, dried grasses, seed heads, orange, red and yellow flowers with a pilgrim in a black hat peaking through the flowers and other plant materials.

Ed Talk/Activities-Discussed what the pilgrims found in early North America.  Grace Houuse

 

Theme-Thanksgiving

Project-An Arrangement using mums

Ed Talk/Activities-Discussed falling leaves and why the colors change and showed samples.  Sang Over the River and through the Woods, and read appropriate poetry.  HC

 

 

Theme-Houseplants

Project-Planted rooted cuttings of coleus that had been an outdoor plant for summer and now can be an indoor plant for the winter.

Ed Talk/Activities-Discussed rooting cuttings in water and then planting them in spoil.  Talked about successful conditions for houseplants-sunlight, soil, water, air circulation, temperature requirements- for happy healthy plants.  Reference HG60 IPM series Houseplants.  Also did an apple tasting of Honeycrisp apples and dehydrated apples.  BRG

 

Theme-Dried Flowers in a Wooden Box

Project-Decorated the container by gluing on dried beans.  Made a dried floral arrangement in the container.

Ed Talk/Activities-Discussed the harvest, drying flowers and beans. KN

 

Theme-Same, But Different

Project-Used small round glass vases (from Dollar Tree) with a piece of sahara foam hot glued to bottom of vase.  Residents added crushed fall-colored potpourri (from Dollar Tree) to fill the vase sides and hide the foam.  Used extensive assortment of dried materials from the Derwood garden (these dried materials are always available from Wendy and Lisa) along with artificial fall leaves and berries as well as some nandina berries gathered from our yards to make a fall arrangement featuring the many interesting shapes and forms seen in the garden after the growing season.  A fall themed ribbon bow on a pick was added as flourish.

Ed Talk/Activities-Began this program with a discussion highlighting the different forms that plants take over time and showed photos of each of the dried plants in their full and colorful summer glory to compare with their bare, but interesting shapes in the late fall.  Each volunteer mg brought in some old photos of themselves to show that changes over time not only apply to us, but plants as well.  Read poems that gave an appreciation for the garden in its late fall simple and bare form.   STB/BH

 

Theme-Dried Fruit

Project-Made Grapevine wreaths or Burlap Swags using dehydrated sliced fruits.

Ed Talk/Activities-Discussed using dried fruits, how fruits are dried, and the fall palate of colors.  

Brighton Gardens

 

Theme-Veterans Day and Thanksgiving

Project- Decorating a wreath.

Ed Talk/Activities-Talked about the history of wreaths.  STR

 

Theme-Thanksgiving

Project-Simple dried arrangement.

Ed Talk/Activities-Played Gobble, gobble game (a take off on Bingo with a Thanksgiving theme) with small plants as prizes. AAL