how to start a School garden

Your school garden can be an outdoor classroom - a place to learn about healthy food, habitats and nutrition, a place where children enjoy and discover nature.

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The key to a successful and sustainable school garden program is to define what you want to achieve and to partner with your community (school administrators, teachers, PTA/PTSA, facilities, and student leaders) on roles and responsibilities to keep the program going. The more people are involved, the more likely the garden will flourish. We recommend you create a vision for the garden and develop your goals and objectives:

 

Discuss the character and purpose of the garden, including:

• Your school's priority for the space

• Number of classes/children participating

• Primary uses (science, math, English, or a general place to gain confidence and enthusiasm for learning)

• Extra-curricular and community activities

• Roles of administrators, teachers, students, parents, volunteers

• What is the theme of the garden? Garden themes to consider:

  •  Edibles

  •  Butterfly and bee habitat

  •  Native plants

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Decide how to integrate curriculum into the garden

• Will the whole school utilize this garden or only certain classes?

• Are there existing structures in place to support programs such as school-wide composting, reduce/reuse/recycling, Green team?

• Determine interest, experience levels and availability of teachers to commit to a program

• Design lesson plans around the garden theme

• Determine level of parent involvement, and if parents and teachers teach together to reinforce class-based activities with outdoor learning

• Decide if there is need for a garden coordinator to assist the garden curriculum integration

• Analyze and examine your site (see guidelines for Community Gardens)

• Condition and type of soil

• Climate

• Water

• Fencing and access

• Size and shape

• Plan plots or raised beds
   

Other considerations

• Budget

• Security (to discourage vandalism, for example)
   

Create a sustainable maintenance schedule for the long term

• Assign responsibilities for garden tasks and create a schedule that can be passed along each year to volunteers, staff and children

• Plan a maintenance schedule for vacation time

• Include:

  • Documenting a watering schedule for different seasons

  • Safety guidelines to proper handling of tools, soil amendments, etc.

  • Yearly inspection of any irrigation materials for leaks, opportunities to save water, etc.

  • A weed suppression schedule by mulching around beds and removing weeds before they go to seed

  • Soil amendment schedule with compost or cover crops
     

Quick equipment list

• Fencing      

• Potting table

• Hoes                            

• Stakes, sticks, string

• Spades                        

• Shade structure (if needed)

• Hose                            

• Materials for pathways and mulch• Buckets                        

• Pruning shears                  

• Irrigation system - electronic, hose, soaker hoses or watering cans

• Hand tools: trowels, shovels, rakes 

• Soil and compost           

• Garden gloves (varying sizes)

• Wheelbarrow                

• Rakes                           

• Hoes                            

• Spades                        

• Hose                           

• Buckets