Local School Gardens and Projects

School gardens add to a child's education in a number of ways. Most importantly students can learn by doing, getting their hands dirty, thereby becoming immersed in learning. Gardens can capture their interests a number of ways. One successful method is through food. Many kids hate to eat vegetables preferring candy, pizza, etc. If that student grows his own produce from seed, nurtures it along, and finally consumes it straight from the garden, he gets hooked. Once the students are hooked and have gained some basic gardening skills they can be introduced to wild plants. Some of the native plants in the school garden should be edible for cross over value, such as elderberry. Others fill different niches such as ornamental beauty or as a component of a school yard wildlife habitat.

This has become the model at Cajon Valley Middle School, east of San Diego: Individual student vegetable plots are surrounded by an official schoolyard wildlife habitat of native plants. Students spend one hour everyday in the school garden. Visitors are treated to a multi-layered learning scene. Visualize: Some students are picking and consuming strawberries, others are marveling at the hummingbirds sipping nectar from any of a number of natives like bladderpod, penstemon, and sage. Some are hand watering their salad greens while others are sowing seed for a salsa garden. Still others are digging in the ample mulch for bugs while some are evaluating the coast live oak seedling they grew from acorns collected on a fall field trip. A few leisurely take in the view from garden benches. Interestingly, the next day could look like a shuffling of the deck has occurred, some munching, others observing. Meanwhile the teacher and assistants are circulating about answering questions, redirecting as necessary, acting as outdoor learning coordinators.

Where do I begin?

To have a school garden you need a number of things. The most important are appropriate space, the blessing and support of administration (principal), a sponsor or source of money for supplies, and the brilliant enthusiasm and energy of a dedicated teacher. Understand this clearly: If you lack any of these items the garden will fail.

The best school gardens are ones that all students and staff feels a part of. Principals have a huge number of responsibilities including raising test scores and keeping parents, students, the school board, and teachers happy. The last thing they need is another headache. Principals will approve your school garden scheme if they have confidence and trust in the teacher who will be overseeing its operations. After all, they are giving up valuable space on campus. They also don't want a teacher to start a garden and suddenly move on, leaving the school with a weedy lot. Remember: What really makes for good administrative/teacher relations is if the teacher doesn't make the principal's job any harder than it already is.

Once your scheme and location has been approved you can start putting your energies into getting your garden supplies in order. You will need tools, soils/amendments/mulch, seeds/plants, hoses with water wands, and a fence. The power of networking cannot be underestimated. It seems like the longer the school runs a successful garden, the more offers for donations have come along. (It was rough in the beginning.) You may want to start with a local garden supply store who is willing to adopt your school with outright donations or substantial discounts. Grant opportunities come along occasionally that can fund a garden program. In California, the State Department of Education offers substantial money annually in their "A Garden in Every School" program. Since some of the activities at Cajon Valley Middle School occur after school hours, the school qualified for and recently received, a $1,000 grant from the local Rotary Club. Much to the delight of all, it renews annually!

How do I learn more?

There are several good books on gardening with children, far too many to list here. However, none will ever be specific enough to tell you how to run your school garden. Each school has its own situations and odd variables that include neighborhood, site, orientation, soils, personnel, etc. You will have to pick and choose (steal) ideas from other successful programs. School gardening conferences are especially helpful. The American Horticultural Society presents the National Youth Garden Symposium each year. This outstanding gathering of talent is loaded with ideas and leaves you motivated and energized.

Since gardening in California has its own particular set of rules unique to the rest of the nation, it is particularly helpful to attend a local or regional event that will be geared more specifically to your needs. I recently did this in Phoenix, Arizona at the Southwest Regional School/Community Gardening Conference. The three day event included art and other activities at The Farm at South Mountain, school garden tours throughout the greater Phoenix area, and lectures on wide ranging topics at Mendoza Elementary School. Mendoza doesn't have a school garden, it is a garden school. Students are fully immersed in garden activities throughout the day as "The Mendoza Way" of doing things. It made a natural setting for all of us seeking new school garden ideas and was well worth the trip.

The California Native Plant Society education leaders are poised to make a large impact in the growing trend toward creating a garden in every school. Most teachers can put together a vegetable garden, but very few can design a natural habitat garden derived from locally significant plants. The real trick is the integrated food growing for people and wildlife in the school setting.

Resources:
American Horticulture Society -- (800) 777-7931
National Wildlife Federation -- (703) 790-4434
Cajon Valley Middle School -- (619) 588-3652 hohimer@sdcoe.k12.ca.us