The
steps listed above and the details that follow will help make your desire to create
a school garden a reality. As in all endeavors, the more people you involve, the
less you'll have to do individually. The first step is to identify the people
who can help. Some volunteers may be experienced gardeners. There are plenty of
tasks for all kinds of different people, from digging in the soil to writing letters
to calling local businesses for donations to picking up donated materials.
Obtain the support and official approval for a garden program from the principal
before starting. It helps if you put together a garden plan and illustrations
of your garden layout.
Make initial contact with the groundskeeper(s)
at your campus, and assure them that your garden project will not require any
additional work from them. Ask if they would like to join your committee to address
any campus needs or requirements. Many groundskeepers give expert advice or lend
a hand, outside of their required duties, when they feel they're part of the process.
Make contact with your school district facilities manager to inform them
of your intentions (with pre-approval from your school administrators), and obtain
basic information such as what resources might be available. Many districts can
provide mulch, soil, rototilling and sometimes heavy equipment. They may also
have approved plant lists and nurseries where you can receive a discount on plants.
Assure the district facilities manager that you will be taking full responsibility
for the maintenance and upkeep of your garden. Also advise them that you will
not be using any pesticides or harmful chemicals in the gardens and would like
an understanding from them that no spraying will be conducted in or near the garden.
Begin with a discussion of the garden plan, which includes interested
teachers, parents and/or garden committee. If there is no garden in place, you
will need to decide whether to renovate/create a campus plot or build individual
raised beds near the classroom(s). Also decide on other partners you want to sit
on your committee. Include people from the business community and any parents
in the landscape trades (landscape designer, contractor, plumber, etc.) Plan your
next meeting with all your partners so that you can determine the entire scope
of the project, including all specifications that must be met for district codes/requirements.
When you've organized volunteers into a committee, compile a list of tasks
with the name of the person responsible for ensuring that each step is completed.
This list might include:
Here
are some further considerations to make of the physical features regarding choosing
your garden site.
| - |
is a basic requirement. A well-watered garden has a better chance of producing
an abundant harvest. Since dragging long lengths of hose to the garden is no fun,
the garden should be as close as possible to a water faucet. If you need to bring
water to the garden site, an irrigation plan should be designed. If you don't
have a volunteer who can do this, you can get help from irrigation stores, library
books, local landscape professionals and the school district. Rainbird, one irrigation
supply manufacturer, has an informative book, "How To Design an Irrigation
System". They will also design an irrigation system for you if you send them
your site plan or enter the dimensions on their web site. Get all the codes and
requirements from your school district facilities manager before beginning. A
volunteer who has experience with plumbing or sprinkler installation may be able
to help. If asphalt needs to be removed to bring water lines to your site, you
can contact your local utilities (gas co., water co., public works) and many times
they will assist you if you have the rest of your plans worked out. Always use
school letterhead, or PTSA/booster club letterhead to assure partners that you
are indeed non-profit. Some companies receive federal assistance to provide their
services to schools. Be sure to get documentation throughout your project to show
funders and other interested groups. | | - | .
Avoid areas that have been sprayed with herbicides (sprays that kill weeds). Choose
a spot that has a good growth of weeds-this is a good sign that desirable plants
will also grow in this soil. | | - | .
It is very important that children have access to the garden. If opportunities
to observe and work in the garden are restricted, interest will diminish. |
| - | . Children need plenty of room to use tools safely, to walk among
the plants, and to sit and talk. Gardens are wonderful environments for group
discussions. | Raised beds are a good alternative if you don't
have an existing site on campus and can't remove the asphalt or cement in a schoolyard.
These are wooden or plastic structures that hold soil above the surface of the
ground. The beds can clearly mark plots for individual classrooms or projects.
To grow large vegetable plants like tomatoes or corn, raised beds on top of asphalt
should be at least 18" deep. For smaller vegetables, a 12" bed is sufficient.
You will also want to line the bottom of the bed with a weed cloth or other material
so that water can drain while the soil is held in. If the bed is made out of wood,
a 2 inch layer of pea gravel (3/8" or 5/8") will help protect against
rot and help drainage.
If your bed is on top of the soil, then you only
need a 6" or 8" depth, as roots can extend into the ground beneath the
bed.
Raised beds should not be wider than 3-4' so that children can reach
plants from both sides without stepping into the garden.
If pressurized
wood is used, make sure the manufacturer verifies that it is safe to grow edible
plants in soil surrounded by their wood. You want to make sure that watering will
not leach any harmful chemicals into the soil for plant roots to absorb.
Plastic lumber is a good alternative to wood as it lasts longer and water doesn't
leach chemicals out of the plastic lumber into the soil.
If there is soil on campus available for a garden
site, you should have the soil tested to verify its safety.
In urban
environments, the original topsoil has often been removed during building construction.
Perhaps you will be lucky enough to find a site for your garden that has been
maintained from earlier days when agriculture programs existed in schools. However,
it is more likely that you will be rebuilding the soil in your garden.
Soil acts as a support for plants. It also holds nutrients, water, air and helpful
organisms (we call these "beneficial microorganisms" because they are
so small.) In order to grow the healthiest plants possible, it is important to
identify what type of soil you are working with so that you can add the necessary
amendments (things like compost that make soil healthy) and fertilizers (vitamins
for plants).
Soil has four basic ingredients: decomposed rock, organic
matter, air and water. Soil particles range in size from big particles (sand)
to finer particles (silt) to very fine particles (clay). The amount of each of
these determines the texture of the soil.
Soil also contains many living
microscopic (such as fungi, protozoa and bacteria) and macroscopic plants and
animals (such as insects and earthworms). These living organisms contribute organic
matter and nutrients to the soil.
Another property of soil is called
the pH factor. Soil pH describes the amount of soil acidity or alkalinity. The
acidity/alkalinity level is represented by a number ranging from 0 to 14. Acid
soils are less than 7, and alkaline soils are more than 7. Soil at the slightly
acid level of 6 to 6.5 is best for plants. You can test soil pH with kits from
garden supply stores. Organic compost will always help improve the soil, no matter
what the pH level or proportions of sand, silt and clay. However, if your soil
is high in salt, stay away from manures.
Soil amendments are organic
or inorganic materials used to improve the physical condition of the soil. By
adding the proper amendments, you can improve the soil structure, which in turn
will improve drainage, aeration and the water and nutrient-holding capacity of
the soil.
The only time you shouldn't work in your garden is when the
soil is very wet. When you walk on soil that is really wet, you push all of the
air out, and the particles become almost like rock. To test the soil after it
rains, form a ball of soil in your hand. If the ball crumbles, the soil is dry
enough to be worked. If it sticks together, it is too wet.
To design a garden, invite students in each class
to participate. Even the youngest children can place cut-out shapes on a piece
of paper representing the garden. Give the students as much creative license as
possible, as this helps build a strong garden community where vandalism is less
likely. Students can work as individuals or in teams. Each class should choose
a design or elements that they like best and these should be presented at the
garden committee meeting. The final design is a synthesis of all major themes
from the different classes. Many ideas may be too outlandish, but a garden is
supposed to be fun, so find ways to incorporate as many ideas as possible. A garden
in Watts, a section of South-Central Los Angeles, has a windmill that the special
education class requested in their design. A local business donated part of the
cost of the kit, and the class followed the detailed instructions and built it
themselves. Other classes had wanted a sculpture and were thrilled to have the
windmill as "their" sculpture.
If the garden is planned to
accommodate multiple classes, it can be helpful to visit other schools that already
have large plots before designing yours for ideas on what might work for you.
Seek support and training for those volunteers/teachers
who will be the lead gardeners. Older students can help teach younger students.
The Common Ground Garden Program can help schools identify Master Gardener
volunteers to work with teachers, students, and community volunteers by providing
gardening information, seeds and consultation. Our book, Children's Gardens, A
Field Guide for Teachers, Parents and Volunteers provides simple lesson plans
and resources.
The school is responsible for advising volunteers of
all district policies regarding health and safety.
Other local resources
are available through the school district science centers and non-profit organizations
which support urban ecology education and greening projects.
Once your garden design is worked out and is accepted
by the principal and school district, then it is time to search for resources
and funding.
It is easy to submit your "want list" to businesses
that serve your immediate community, or to submit a grant proposal. Some of the
most valuable gifts are donations, such as:
- Free Soil from a nearby cemetery
- Free damaged
paving stepping stones and
- Fencing from nearby building supply houses
- Employee labor/materials/expertise on community service workdays
- Damaged bags of amendments, fertilizers from nearby nurseries
- Free
tools, tables, chairs, etc.
- Food and water for workdays from local
grocery store
| Your garden committee can help organize a workday
when all the funding is in place and materials are ordered. There are many community
members who can help make this a positive experience. Often middle and high schools
have community service organizations - invite them to help. Contact churches and
community centers, business organizations and homeowners associations. Be sure
to let the local paper and your government representatives know about the community
project. Make a fun day out of it, have a cook-out and celebrate your efforts.
Involve students, staff, parents and the whole community.
Choosing and planting seeds involves important
lessons. Students can read seed package labels and discuss what grows in warm
and cool seasons. They can use a calendar to work backwards so that harvest is
before school is over. Students can also research spacing, height and other needs
of plants. They can observe the sun to determine which plants will be in the shade
and which in the sun.
Seedlings need careful watering until the first
true leaves appear. Newly planted seeds should not dry out or be kept soggy, so
a monitoring system will be required for the first 10-20 days. Once plants are
established, drip irrigation or soaker hoses can take over, if desired. Plants
need water when the soil is dry about 1" below the surface (usually 2-3 times
a week, depending on type of soil, time of year, weather and location.)
Be sure to add some flowers to your vegetable garden for beauty and to attract
beneficial (helpful) insects like butterflies and ladybugs.
Let the students
use their imagination to develop uses for disposable objects. Labels, signs, art
projects, scarecrows, trellises and garden gates can all be made from found or
recycled materials to add whimsy and a sense of invention and fun to a garden.
As plants grow, fertilizing and adding mulch become lessons. Students can
also learn to identify helpful bugs and how to control harmful insects in an environmentally
helpful way. Keeping an ecological balance produces a naturally healthy garden.
Healthy soil and the right amount of water for each plant help eliminate
most pest and disease problems. If you do run into a large problem, seek good
advice before deciding how to control pests. Your local nurseries can assist.
There are also many wonderful books available.
Releasing beneficial insects
into the garden can be a fun project. Praying mantis eggs and ladybugs are available
at good nurseries. Watching the life cycle of butterflies and silkworms in the
classroom can tie in with the life cycle in the garden.
Composting is an important
part of a garden. You can have a bin near the garden or a vermiculture (worm)
box in the classroom. The breaking down or decomposition of materials into rich
compost is an exciting learning experience.
Measuring, counting, analyzing
costs and receipts at a plant sale are all great hands-on lessons in math. Scientific
experiments can be done to study what helps plants grow.
The harvest
shows the success of the garden. Plan a harvest party or celebration and invite
all those who helped. Prepare foods from various cultures and add lots of seeds
and nuts to the salad bar to encourage experimentation.
Children perform better
when they have had healthy and nutritious foods to eat. When they are young and
have fresh produce available, especially if they have grown it themselves, they
will learn to appreciate the flavors. They will always remember the sensation
of biting into a freshly picked fruit or vegetable. Nutrition can be taught simply
by growing and eating your own fruits and vegetables.
Always thank those
who have helped support the garden project. Letters, photos, and pictures mean
a lot, even more if handed out at a harvest party.
Another great lesson in
the garden is to grow food for those less fortunate, or invite a nearby shelter
where children attend, to come and share your harvest. In this way students can
learn about the larger community and how they can make it a better place to live.
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