While learning about science and nature in a book is one thing, getting the opportunity to smell, feel, touch and literally taste the fruits of your labor can’t be beat.
A school garden creates a dynamic outdoor (or indoor) classroom. Gardens in schools provide hands-on opportunities for students to engage in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts and learn about sustainability, nutrition, and so much more.
Whether you have a large outdoor space or want to explore hydroponics indoors, starting a school garden can transform how your students learn. But where do you begin?
This guide will walk you through the process step by step, ensuring your garden is successful and sustainable for years to come.
Step 1: Set Your Vision & Goals for the School Garden
Before breaking ground on your outdoor school garden (or setting up a hydroponic garden), take some time to define what you want to achieve with your school garden.
When defining your vision, here are a few questions to ask yourself and your team:
- What is the primary purpose of the garden? Maybe it’ll be used to teach students about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts. Or perhaps it’ll be a resource to foster more community engagement or learn about health and nutrition.
- Which grade levels and subjects will be involved? Younger elementary students might explore basic concepts like seasons and how food grows, whereas older students can dive into deeper concepts around sustainability and our food ecosystems.
No two schools or vision statements are alike, so this is a starting place you can adjust to align with the needs of your school and community. For example:
Our school garden will improve nutrition education and boost independence by teaching students how to grow, harvest, and cook their own food.
Once you’ve outlined a vision, set goals to help put it into action. Again, these can be customized for your school’s specific needs. Based on the above statement, some goals might be:
- Teach lessons about how to plant seeds, water, and maintain the garden
- Host a farmers market at your school
- Have a cooking or taste test day with food grown in the garden
Step 2: Raise Awareness & Garner Support For Your School Garden
If your school garden is going to grow — literally and figuratively — you’ll need support from school leadership, teachers, parents, and the community at large.
- School Administrators: Present the academic and social benefits of a school garden program, focusing on how it can improve student engagement and boost STEM learning opportunities.
- Teachers: Spread the word and show how your garden program aligns with existing curriculum standards and creates cross-subject learning experiences.
- Parents & Community Members: Keep parents and the community at large informed about what’s happening and how you’re using the garden. Provide some opportunities for them to get involved directly through volunteering, supply donations, funding assistance, or special community-focused events.
We’ve found that flyers and email newsletters are a great way to keep everyone informed about all the exciting things happening with your garden! We offer some handy templates and resources to get you started in our portal!
Step 3: Plan Your Garden
With a vision and support, it’s time for your garden dreams to take root. To ensure success, take some time to plan out your garden, including understanding your grow zone, choosing a garden type, and making a planting calendar.
Find Your Grow Zone
Based on information from the United States Department of Agriculture, a "grow zone" — which is also called a "planting zone" or "hardiness zone” — is a map that looks at climate conditions and temperatures in your geographic area to help you figure out which plants will thrive in your area.
Understanding your grow zone will help you choose the right seeds for your school garden and the time of year to plant and harvest them. You can check out the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to get started.
Choose a Garden Type
Depending on your overall vision and specific garden needs, there are a few different types of garden options.
- Raised garden beds: Raised beds can be a great option for schools that are just starting a school garden program or where space and poor soil conditions are factors.
- Hydroponic systems: Hydroponic systems let you grow plants indoors in water rather than in the soil. Hydroponic gardens are great for year-round STEM learning and urban schools.
- Large outdoor gardens: Rather than having to adjust to the size of a raised garden bed, these gardens are planted directly in the ground.
All these different types of gardens can yield large amounts of food when properly maintained. Every type of garden also provides hands-on STEM lessons, with each providing unique angles to the different STEM areas.
Select the Right Location
The success of your garden highly depends on where and how you set it up. Make sure the plants have plenty of access to sunlight and water to help them thrive. Visibility is also important to keep students engaged and ensure safety.
Outdoor gardens need about six hours of sunlight per day and easy access to water. You might also want to install a fence to minimize the risk of damage from animals or vandalism.
If you’re looking into an indoor hydroponic or classroom-based garden, look for areas with windows and natural light or install grow lights as needed. Ensure the area has good airflow to prevent mold and potential allergy issues.
Step 4: Plant Your Seeds
Now it’s time for some fun — planting your school garden! There’s nothing quite like the joy and wonder of gardening with your students.
Most packs of seeds come with instructions explaining exactly how far apart and how deep in the soil you should plant them. Model the process for the students and assign specific seeds to plant or a specific role in the process to get them excited and involved.
If your garden isn’t done yet, don’t worry. You can keep things simple by planting seeds in pots or starting a small herb garden right in your classroom! When the time comes, you can transfer them to your garden.
Step 5: Maintain & Grow Your Garden
Like anything, a school garden takes work and ongoing maintenance. Make sure your garden thrives for years by outlining an easy-to-follow maintenance plan, community involvement, and a long-term growth plan.
Create a School Garden Maintenance Plan
Clearly define and communicate who’s responsible for what and when it needs to be done to ensure a flourishing garden.
Since the garden provides so many opportunities for cross-curriculum learning, you can rotate responsibilities among students, classrooms, and staff.
- Distribute and display a schedule that outlines planting, watering, harvesting, and other garden tasks.
- Create a garden maintenance checklist so it’s easy to track when important tasks are done.
- Create a schedule where different teachers, students, or garden clubs can block time to use the garden to minimize the overlap of lessons or duplicating maintenance tasks.
Long breaks are one of the biggest challenges for gardens in schools. Summer care teams, volunteers, or hydroponic automation can be great options for garden care when the school is closed for summer, holidays, and other extended periods.
Engage Students & Community
Your garden will flourish beyond school hours when students take ownership and the community gets involved.
In addition to assigning specific roles and responsibilities for garden maintenance, consider getting students involved in a garden club or after school program. This provides extra hands-on experience and learning opportunities outside of the classroom for students who are really interested.
As for the community, look for opportunities to partner with local farms, restaurants, or environmental organizations to help reinforce garden lesson plans and STEM concepts. School farmers markets are also a great way to provide healthy food options to your community while supporting your garden financially.
Expand Your Efforts
Once your school garden is established, consider ways to build upon your success and deepen student engagement. Expansion can introduce new STEM learning opportunities, enhance sustainability efforts, and increase community involvement.
If you’re looking to grow your school garden and engage students year after year, consider exploring some of these options:
- Composting
- Rainwater collection and sampling
- Designing irrigation systems
- Experimenting with new crops and growing methods
- Nutrition and cooking lessons
- Incorporate technology like data tracking, sensors, and more
The possibilities for learning are endless!
Start a School Garden With Green Our Planet
If you’re looking to get students excited and engaged with nature, Green Our Planet is here to help! This guide is only the beginning!
With an engaged community of educators, step-by-step lesson plans, and a full library of other resources, our fully-accredited GardenConnect and HydroConnect programs can turn your dream of a school garden into a reality.
Let’s grow something amazing together!
