Hitting Pay Dirt –Gardening at School Benefits All

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.” – Alfred Austin, poet

April is National Garden Month – a wonderful time to reflect on or learn more about how great gardening at school can be. According to many studies compiled by the National Gardening Association, gardens in schools have multiple benefits. These include:

• Significantly increasing science achievement scores in elementary students
• Improving social skills and behavior of students
• Improving life skills, including working with groups and self-understanding
• Increasing children’s knowledge about the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables
• Increasing students’ interest in eating fruits and vegetables
• Improving environmental attitudes, especially with younger students
• Instilling an appreciation and respect for nature that lasts into adulthood

How can you start a garden so you can harvest all of these advantages for students in your school? MyHealthySchool.com and GrowingGreat.org recommend following these five steps*:

1. Develop a vision for your garden – start small and include students in planning.
2. Grow support before you grow your garden – work with all who would be involved and obtain necessary permissions.
3. Find a site that works for the garden you and your students have planned – will it be in-ground? In containers? Is there water? Sunlight? Permanence?
4. Build your garden – help students set the stage for planting success through planning the layout, buying quality soil, planning for irrigation and fertilization.
5. Plant your garden – Congratulations on all of your hard work! Make sure it pays off by using seasonal plants, keeping up maintenance and keeping out pests. Work with students to build a class schedule and garden rules.

Another great resource is Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation, a book by Sharon Gamson Danks. This illustrated book is an “easy-to-understand guide for turning the traditional school ground’s slab of asphalt into edible gardens, wildlife habitats, and vibrant creative spaces.”

To find free project ideas, garden-related lesson plans and other online resources, be sure to visit kidsgardening.org or USDA.gov.

*Steps are greatly expanded upon at MyHealthySchool.com.

Posted by Allie Lawrence

on April 22, 2015