Download Rain Snow Evaporation Groundwater Clouds

CALENDER OF EVENTS
Santa at Sky--plus Spirit Radio, School Choirs
Saturday, December 5, 2015
A full day of festive activities! Spirit 105.3 and Santa will both be here from 11 am to
1 pm. Join us in the Greenhouse to make pinecone birdfeeders and enjoy hot cider and
cookies during that same time. Local craft vendors will be open from 10 am to 4 pm.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Collage a Garden Journal
It’s a new year and a great time to start a new garden journal! We’ll be making collage covers so
you’ll have a special book to collect drawings, stories, observations, seeds and more! Bring a
favorite blank binder, notebook or sketchbook, or use one of ours. This class is free.
Sunday, February 7th, 2016
Building a Terrarium
2:00 PM
Join us to design and plant your own tiny terrarium garden! Our indoor garden
expert, Hannah D., will be helping us make smart plant choices so the whole garden
can thrive. Please register in advance. Class size: 20. Cost is $10, cash or check only.
For nursery hours and more information on upcoming events, see our website at www.skynursery.com.
Sky’s Junior Gardeners is a gardening club for K-6th graders with an interest in gardening. The club is free and includes a
monthly complimentary gift. Please join us for fun activities throughout the year! Sky’s Junior Gardeners newsletter is a
publication of Sky Nursery.
Contributing writers: Emily Apple, Hannah Madrone, Hannah Daley, and Nichole Sheehan
Layout: Hannah M. and Nichole
Editor: Hannah M.
Original artwork: Nichole
Sky Nursery
18528 Aurora Ave N
Shoreline, WA 98133
(206) 546–4851
www.skynursery.com
Clouds
2:00 PM
Snow
Very cold, water-filled clouds
create snow crystals. As the
crystals grow, the pull of gravity
brings them down to earth.
The water vapor rises and clings together
as it moves. Droplets of water become visible as clouds. Sometimes they become
storm or rain clouds.
Rain
When the clouds drift into warm or
higher pressure air, growing clusters of
moisture become so heavy they fall
down as rain.
Evaporation
Water droplets turn to vapor, which is
carried back to the sky through the air.
Groundwater
Rivers, lakes, and oceans are reservoirs that store
water temporarily on the ground.
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— Wilson
Have you ever noticed that the plants in our
gardens outside are different from the plants
that live inside our houses as potted plants?
That’s because the plants outside are usually
from a different climate than the plants inside.
Climate means the weather patterns of a
certain area over a long time. There are many
factors that can change the climate of an area,
such as how high the elevation is (like on a
mountain), whether the place is close to an
ocean, and how far north or south the place is.
Here in Seattle we are far away from the
equator, so it can get very cold or very warm
based on what time of year it is. We have four
seasons here: spring, summer, autumn and
winter. Having four seasons means we live in a
temperate climate.
Places that are located closer to the equator
stay warm and sunny all year round. These are
sometimes called tropical climates. There are
also desert climates, where it is dry and hot,
and there are polar climates, where it is icy all
year. There are different climates all over the
world, and plants have adapted to live in all of
them!
In Seattle, we get frosty winters. It even
snows sometimes! That means that any plants
that live outside have to tolerate the freezing
temperatures and changing seasons. Some ways
that plants adapt to the freezing cold are by
going dormant, losing all their leaves, or waiting
as seeds for the spring sun.
But most plants that come from tropical
climates have never had freezing temperatures.
They don’t know how to survive the winter!
Plants that live in tropical climates are known
for having large leaves and brightly colored
flowers. They are very beautiful plants, and a
lot of people want to grow them. Since they
can’t survive outside, what can we do? We have
to bring them inside!
The insides of our homes are usually the same
temperature that tropical plants need to
survive, but since there is no soil, sun, or rain
inside, it is our job to give our plants everything
they need. Because we can create an
environment similar to a tropical climate inside,
we can have plants that we wouldn’t normally be
able to grow!
If you want to care for your own indoor plants,
check out our top ten list of houseplants to
start with, and stop by the indoor gardening
department of Sky Nursery. You can see all
kinds of unusual and tropical plants. We even
have carnivorous plants that eat bugs!
Try These Top Ten Indoor Plants!
1. English Ivy – grows really fast, and you can grow more from cuttings
2. Luck y Bamboo – doesn’t even need soil! It can grow in just water
3. Pothos – really easy to grow, and it grows from cuttings like ivy
4. Spider Plant – elegant and spindly, with beautiful star -shaped flowers
5. Bird’s Nest or Brake Fern – beautiful, fun texture
6. Snake Plant – tough as nails, and it produces lots of oxygen
7. Aloe Vera – cool-looking succulent that can be used in medicine
8. Coffee – ever wonder where that stuff grown -ups drink came from?
9. Tradescantia zebrina – hangs down like a curtain
10. Peace Lil y – awesome at filtering the air, so breath easy!
Remember, these pl ants are not for eat ing, so be sure your pets can’t reach t hem.
Why does your garden grow?
Happy 10th birthday to JG! We’re growing and changing. This is the last JG newsletter you’ll
get in the mail, but don’t worry. This club will just keep getting better!
JR
.G
Visit us online!
Maya, age 6: Why do plants grow?
Nolan, age 8: What is inside of a plant that makes it grow?
Bam, age 7: How come plants need to grow?
I’m so glad you all asked! Many grown-ups are asking these same questions, and no one really knows the
whole answer. A lot of plant scientists spend their entire lives exploring just a few small parts of these
questions, and they never run out of amazing new things to learn.
One answer is that plants grow for the same reason you do! All organisms (living things) grow and change
throughout their lives. In fact, that’s part of what it means to be alive. Non-living things like rocks can’t
grow. They can be broken or worn away into smaller parts, or they can get stuck together with other rocks,
or living things can grow on them, but they don’t have a way to grow or change on their own.
So what’s the difference between a plant and a rock? How come plants, humans, mushrooms, and all other
living things grow and change on our own, but rocks don’t?
All living things are made up of tiny pieces called cells, and inside each cell is a copy of a genetic code. You
could imagine that a genetic code is like instructions for how to make an organism, sort of like a recipe. Our
cells can “read” these instructions. They organize, reproduce, and adapt themselves depending on a
combination of what the instructions say and what’s going on in our surroundings. A plant’s genetic code
can “tell” the plant to grow.
Plants usually grow in ways that help them get the resources they need. Their roots grow to find nutrients
(plant food) and water, while their stems and leaves grow up towards the sun. Leaves act like solar panels
to capture energy from sunlight, and this energy is what powers a plant’s ability to grow. If plants don’t
have enough food, water, or sunlight, they won’t be able to grow very big, or they might not
grow at all.
Growing can also help plants survive if they get hurt or sick. Just like you can
grow new skin if you scrape your knee, plants can heal themselves and
outgrow injuries too. That’s one reason why you don’t need to worry
too much if a small number of plant-eating insects
make their homes in your garden – healthy plants
can grow faster than bugs can eat them!
We post regular updates, including gardening tips, downloadable activities, and
bonus answers from Professor Pansy. We’ll also post a color newsletter
each season. Find us at www.skynursery.com/jr-gardeners.
AR
RU DEN
LE ER
S
Prefer paper? No worries!
We’ll always have free copies of the JG newsletter available at our Headquarters in the Sky
Nursery Greenhouse. Come on in and grab one!
Coming January 1st: Official Junior Gardener Membership Cards
Free monthly gifts are here to stay, but the way to pick them up is changing. We’re including
one coupon below. To pick up your gifts from January on, come to the Greenhouse information
desk starting January 1st to pick up your very own Junior Gardener Membership Card!
Questions? Stories to share? Just want to say ‘hi’?
We love hearing from you! Come by any time, give a call, or email us at [email protected]!
December Gift!
Paperwhite Bulb
DECEMBER GIFT: Paperwhite bulb
Paperwhites are as beautiful and fragrant as daffodils,
and they can bloom inside during the winter. “Forcing”
bulbs indoors is a great way to keep your green thumb
in shape this time of year.
JANUARY GIFT: Hot chocolate
Back by popular demand! Present your awesome new
membership card at Sky’s coffee stand for an 8oz hot
chocolate made to order. Just the thing for a chilly
day at the nursery!
Come to the Sky Nursery
greenhouse info desk to
pick up your coupon!
FEBRUARY GIFT: Primrose
What flower can bloom in the cold days of February
and comes in lots of different colors? Primroses! The
yellow ones are fragrant too! These colors are so
cheerful that you’re sure to lose the winter blues!