"Goodbye, Mr. Pumpkin"

Leila Skinner, Youth Education Coordinator

feat. Jordan Finkelstein, Garden Educator

November is full of good-byes: good-bye to the harvest season, good-bye to the sun being out later than 4PM, and for kindergarteners and second-graders at Orchard Gardens K-8 School, good-bye to their pumpkins.

CitySprouts garden at Orchard Gardens K-8 School

Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School in Lower Roxbury is painted a vibrant yellow that contrasts against the bright blue sky of fall days. The CitySprouts garden is nestled on the back side of the school next to the playground and accessible through the gym. The garden is home to ten planting beds with a row of pots near the garden shed. The beds include a sensory garden (with many students’ favorite plant “sorrel” which tastes like a lemon-y Sour Patch kids), the hoop house for our newly planted seeds to grow throughout the winter, and a digging bed. Though past its peak, if you pay us a visit, you’ll be able to feel the warmth of the soil inside of the hoop house planted by our wonderful Young Leaders Program middle schoolers.

After families have been busy carving Jack-O-Lanterns, many are wondering what to do with their old, moldy pumpkins. Luckily, our gardens have the answer.

Gardener Jordan prepares to fill the pumpkin with a banana peel

On a chilly November morning, you can find Gardener Jordan at Orchard Gardens teaching kindergarteners to second graders all about decomposition. The moment second graders first enter the outdoor classroom, exclamations of “look at the peppers!” and “I want to find more worms!” pepper the air as students spend a few minutes observing the changes in the garden. Gardener Jordan asks: “What changes do we notice from the last time we were here together?” and eager hands shoot up as the students point out their findings. Flowers have begun to turn brown, leaves drift down from the sycamore tree overhead, and dead plants are tucked into the compost bin as the garden goes to sleep for the winter. “We learn so much about how the garden works in transitional seasons, and it’s so valuable for students to see how the garden actively changes with the weather,” Gardener Jordan explains before delving back into the discussion.

The burial of the pumpkin begins with the help of a student

Bundled in jackets and hats, second graders gather in a circle to share their observations and listen to Gardener Jordan explain the day’s lesson. This class has a particular interest in worms, so today’s discussion of decomposers and activity beneath the soil catches their attention. Gardener Jordan first passes around a pumpkin with a top cut off (a retired Jack o’ Lantern) and students use their senses to tap the pumpkin, feel the gooey interior (“ew!”), and smell it. Gardener Jordan explains that we’re going to fill the pumpkin with some items and then bury it. He starts by explaining decomposition as a natural part of the life cycle, and how worms play a crucial role in keeping the garden healthy. He then has students pass around a flower, a metal lid, a banana peel, and a plastic spoon. Students then guess which, when placed in the pumpkin and buried, will decompose (i.e. be eaten by worms). As Gardener Jordan reveals the metal lid, one student says “the worm can’t eat it; it’s metal and it will hurt their teeth”. Though worms don’t have teeth, the guess is correct that it won’t decompose. Another student guesses that the worms will “eat” (i.e. decompose) the flower and the banana peel because both grow outside. Gardener Jordan later reveals that this is his favorite part of the activity.

“You learn so much about how students see the world through those open-ended questions,” he explains. “Talking about worm teeth and banana plants might seem silly, but these conversations open the door for some great teachable moments.”

After the second graders take turns making scientific predictions and using their thumbs to vote on what should be placed in the pumpkin, Gardener Jordan puts both the organic and inorganic materials in the pumpkin. He explains that, come springtime, we will dig up the pumpkin and see what the worms wanted to eat, and what they didn’t.

After Gardener Jordan digs a hole for the pumpkin with a thankfully adult-sized shovel, the second graders eagerly line up to take turns scooping a blanket of dirt over the pumpkin. One exclaims,

“we’re tucking it into bed for the winter!”

Students all take a turn saying goodbye to Mr. Pumpkin before heading back inside.