School Garden Resource Guide
What is school gardening?
School Gardening engages students by providing a dynamic environment to observe, discover, experiment, nurture, and learn.
School gardens are living laboratories where interdisciplinary lessons are drawn from real life experiences,
encouraging students to become active participants in the learning process.
Why school gardening?
Learning in a school garden teaches the fundamentals of three important issues: nutrition, agriculture, and outdoor activity.
It’s the ultimate interactive, hands-on, multi-sensory curriculum.
Research in support of school gardening shows that gardening:
School Gardening engages students by providing a dynamic environment to observe, discover, experiment, nurture, and learn.
School gardens are living laboratories where interdisciplinary lessons are drawn from real life experiences,
encouraging students to become active participants in the learning process.
Why school gardening?
Learning in a school garden teaches the fundamentals of three important issues: nutrition, agriculture, and outdoor activity.
It’s the ultimate interactive, hands-on, multi-sensory curriculum.
- Gardening enriches every subject area, from arts to social studies, including special education classes.
- Children who learn to grow their own food make healthier decisions about what to eat.
- Gardening teaches cooperation, responsibility and patience, and increases self-esteem.
- Gardens offer a unique way to incorporate the greater community into school activities.
- Gardens beautify the school and instill pride in students and school staff.
Research in support of school gardening shows that gardening:
- Increases science achievement scores
- Improves environmental attitudes
- Improves life skills, including working with groups
- Increases interest in eating fruits and vegetables and improves nutrition knowledge and vegetable preferences (See Evidence-Based Outcomes)
School Garden Checklist
Whether you're looking for a new way to capture your students' interest as the weather breaks or you simply need to add some life to your classroom or school, planting a school garden will do the trick!
School gardens offer opportunities for fun and physical activity while serving as an important
educational tool to help students understand how healthy food is produced.
Before you start a garden of your own, read this step-by-step guide, which offers important information about how to safely grow your own fruits and vegetables with your students.
Whether you're looking for a new way to capture your students' interest as the weather breaks or you simply need to add some life to your classroom or school, planting a school garden will do the trick!
School gardens offer opportunities for fun and physical activity while serving as an important
educational tool to help students understand how healthy food is produced.
Before you start a garden of your own, read this step-by-step guide, which offers important information about how to safely grow your own fruits and vegetables with your students.
1. Site Selection
Finding the best location for your garden project will require some investigation. Tarmac, dry earth, mud, and empty fields can be turned into green grounds, outdoor laboratories, vegetable plots, herb gardens, play spaces and study areas. Use these questions to guide your thinking, and then decide on the garden location accordingly.
Parking lots, courtyards, rooftops, greenhouses, and schoolyards can all be potential sites. If it is not possible to have a garden at the school, consider options within the community like city parks or vacant lots, places of worship, nature centers, retirement centers, and community gardens.
You will want to avoid locations that are exposed to nearby pollutants like highways, airports, industry smokestacks, or areas referred to as brownfields.
If space is very limited, consider gardening in containers. You might even find that the ideal spot is indoors instead of outside.
2. Soil Health
Soil is the foundation on which gardens are built. Good soil is an essential ingredient in a healthy school garden. It’s important to collect soil samples to identify the soil quality of the proposed garden site. Have your soil tested for pH, nutrients, and lead contamination by a soil testing laboratory. If your site is contaminated, the simplest solution may be to find another site or try container gardening with different soil. Contact your nearest Cooperative Extension office to learn how to take a soil sample and where to send it for analysis.
3. Designing for Students
Engage the entire school community including parents, students at every grade level, teachers, administrators, food service staff, and local partners in the design of the garden. Hold a brainstorming session where everyone gets to share ideas and design concepts. Develop a design plan that students will find interesting and exciting. The school grounds can be:
4. Plant Palette
Have older students survey younger students about what plants to grow. Choose a palette of plants that are safe (no poisonous fruits, large thorns or weak limbs), healthy (resistant to disease or pests), low maintenance, desirable in size and shape, and suitable to your climate. You can select plants based on a theme, such as a storybook or science lesson, to connect with what is being taught in the classroom. Selecting appropriate plants requires knowledge of what plants will survive and grow year after year in your region of the United States. Do you know your growing zone? Use the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to find out. Springfield is in Zone 5b and 6a. See list below for plants that grow best here.
Finding the best location for your garden project will require some investigation. Tarmac, dry earth, mud, and empty fields can be turned into green grounds, outdoor laboratories, vegetable plots, herb gardens, play spaces and study areas. Use these questions to guide your thinking, and then decide on the garden location accordingly.
- Is the site easy and safe for both students and teachers to access?
- Is there a nearby and dependable water source?
- Is the site protected from vandals, rodents or other potential threats?
- Is the area big enough to allow for future growth?
- Is the site exposed to sunlight at least 6 hours a day, if planting flowers, herbs and vegetables?
- Is the soil contaminated with lead or other heavy metals?
Parking lots, courtyards, rooftops, greenhouses, and schoolyards can all be potential sites. If it is not possible to have a garden at the school, consider options within the community like city parks or vacant lots, places of worship, nature centers, retirement centers, and community gardens.
You will want to avoid locations that are exposed to nearby pollutants like highways, airports, industry smokestacks, or areas referred to as brownfields.
If space is very limited, consider gardening in containers. You might even find that the ideal spot is indoors instead of outside.
2. Soil Health
Soil is the foundation on which gardens are built. Good soil is an essential ingredient in a healthy school garden. It’s important to collect soil samples to identify the soil quality of the proposed garden site. Have your soil tested for pH, nutrients, and lead contamination by a soil testing laboratory. If your site is contaminated, the simplest solution may be to find another site or try container gardening with different soil. Contact your nearest Cooperative Extension office to learn how to take a soil sample and where to send it for analysis.
3. Designing for Students
Engage the entire school community including parents, students at every grade level, teachers, administrators, food service staff, and local partners in the design of the garden. Hold a brainstorming session where everyone gets to share ideas and design concepts. Develop a design plan that students will find interesting and exciting. The school grounds can be:
- a source of food for improving children’s diet and nutrition
- a source of healthy influences -- physical activity, ingredients for school meals
- an area of learning -- about nature, agriculture, nutrition, math, and other subjects
- a place of pleasure and recreation -- flowers and shrubs, play areas, shade, eating areas
- a continuing lesson in respecting the environment and taking pride in one’s school
- a gathering spot for your community to socialize
4. Plant Palette
Have older students survey younger students about what plants to grow. Choose a palette of plants that are safe (no poisonous fruits, large thorns or weak limbs), healthy (resistant to disease or pests), low maintenance, desirable in size and shape, and suitable to your climate. You can select plants based on a theme, such as a storybook or science lesson, to connect with what is being taught in the classroom. Selecting appropriate plants requires knowledge of what plants will survive and grow year after year in your region of the United States. Do you know your growing zone? Use the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to find out. Springfield is in Zone 5b and 6a. See list below for plants that grow best here.
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Vegetables
Asparagus Beans Beets Bell Peppers Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Celery Chives Corn Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Lettuce Onions Parsnips Peas Potatoes Pumpkins Radishes Spinach Tomatoes |
Fruit
Apples Blackberries Blueberries Cantaloupe Cherries Grapes Peaches Pears Raspberries Strawberries |
Herbs
Rosemary Thyme Sage Mint Cilantro |
Flowers:
Asters Astilbe Blackeyed Susans Butterfly Bush Coneflowers Crocuses Daffodils Daisies Delphiniums Gladiolus Hyacinths Hydrangeas Irises Lillies Pansies Peonies Phylox Rhododendrons Sedum |
5. Build and Use the Garden
Encourage students to share their ideas and include them in the building and planting of the garden – get their hands in the soil every step of the way. Their participation will instill a sense of ownership, pride, and responsibility among students. Teachers and garden leaders should provide activities that keep all kids engaged. Use the garden to connect students to the source of their food. Plant herbs, fruits, and vegetables that are easy to grow, pick, and cook and you’ll succeed at introducing a greater variety of fruits and vegetables to youth.
Encourage students to share their ideas and include them in the building and planting of the garden – get their hands in the soil every step of the way. Their participation will instill a sense of ownership, pride, and responsibility among students. Teachers and garden leaders should provide activities that keep all kids engaged. Use the garden to connect students to the source of their food. Plant herbs, fruits, and vegetables that are easy to grow, pick, and cook and you’ll succeed at introducing a greater variety of fruits and vegetables to youth.
SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCOOLS
ESTABLISHED GARDEN AND FARM PROGRAMS
ESTABLISHED GARDEN AND FARM PROGRAMS
The following are some garden models available for implementation:
- Raised Beds
- Converted tennis or basketball courts or any large plot of land for a farm
- Large garden planters
- Indoor gardens with window boxes and grow lights or greenhouses
A Success Story…
Brightwood Elementary School recognized it was time to do something when repeatedly, children stated that they didn’t eat vegetables and some couldn’t even name a green vegetable.
Brightwood Health Center in collaboration with the Elementary School, secured funding through the UMass School of Public Health to put in a garden. Being that the school doesn’t have a lot of usable land, they asked the All Soul’s Church next door if they would be willing to allow the school to utilize some of their land. They happily agreed, and in the Spring of 2012, 18 raised beds were built: one per classroom (see the above picture).
The first year tomatoes, carrots, beans, cilantro, pumpkins, basil, sunflowers, chard, beets, onions, and potatoes were planted. All the children helped with the planting. Over the summer, a number of families helped maintain the gardens and were welcome to partake of whatever they picked. By the end of the summer, the school purchased picnic tables so families could sit and enjoy the space. With the Fall, the students were back and Brightwood held a garden party to celebrate its first gardening season.
Brightwood is continuing with their gardens and have secured funds for future plants and curriculum. School Sprouts, a local gardening education organization, has instituted curriculum in each grade, so that children can experience academic subjects in a fun way while growing and becoming familiar with vegetables.
Brightwood Elementary School recognized it was time to do something when repeatedly, children stated that they didn’t eat vegetables and some couldn’t even name a green vegetable.
Brightwood Health Center in collaboration with the Elementary School, secured funding through the UMass School of Public Health to put in a garden. Being that the school doesn’t have a lot of usable land, they asked the All Soul’s Church next door if they would be willing to allow the school to utilize some of their land. They happily agreed, and in the Spring of 2012, 18 raised beds were built: one per classroom (see the above picture).
The first year tomatoes, carrots, beans, cilantro, pumpkins, basil, sunflowers, chard, beets, onions, and potatoes were planted. All the children helped with the planting. Over the summer, a number of families helped maintain the gardens and were welcome to partake of whatever they picked. By the end of the summer, the school purchased picnic tables so families could sit and enjoy the space. With the Fall, the students were back and Brightwood held a garden party to celebrate its first gardening season.
Brightwood is continuing with their gardens and have secured funds for future plants and curriculum. School Sprouts, a local gardening education organization, has instituted curriculum in each grade, so that children can experience academic subjects in a fun way while growing and becoming familiar with vegetables.
William N. DeBerry Union Street
TABLETOP GARDEN MODEL
Outdoor classroom that contains perennial beds planted and maintained by the science teacher and custodian.
The site includes three raised beds for classroom use enclosed in a wrought iron gate.
TABLETOP GARDEN MODEL
Outdoor classroom that contains perennial beds planted and maintained by the science teacher and custodian.
The site includes three raised beds for classroom use enclosed in a wrought iron gate.
German Gerena on Birnie Avenue
COMPOST & RAISED BED MODEL
Facilities helped students build beds in the Park on Main Street
Utilized by the Science teacher
Other schools with raised beds includes Zanetti since 2008
COMPOST & RAISED BED MODEL
Facilities helped students build beds in the Park on Main Street
Utilized by the Science teacher
Other schools with raised beds includes Zanetti since 2008
Kennedy Farm Project
Berkshire Avenue
The dream of science teacher Ron Carriveau, Patrick Sullivan and Mike Tully worked with Ron to design four 40’x100’ beds in an old tennis court behind the school.
A hoop house was also donated (See p. 12)
Facilities hired Hope Guardenier from School Sprouts to work with John , Ron, and the students to build the soil, plant winter cover crops, spread compost and plant garlic.
21st Century grant students worked all summer in the garden, and fall classes are in the garden harvesting and planting cover crops.
Berkshire Avenue
The dream of science teacher Ron Carriveau, Patrick Sullivan and Mike Tully worked with Ron to design four 40’x100’ beds in an old tennis court behind the school.
A hoop house was also donated (See p. 12)
Facilities hired Hope Guardenier from School Sprouts to work with John , Ron, and the students to build the soil, plant winter cover crops, spread compost and plant garlic.
21st Century grant students worked all summer in the garden, and fall classes are in the garden harvesting and planting cover crops.
Springfield Public Day Elementary Nye Street
OUTDOOR PLANTER MODEL
The nurse and Gym facilitated the implementation of a garden
Facilities placed six cement planters next to the school
John Alphin, the gardening coordinator, held verma composting classes, then set up compost bin to kick off program
When planters arrived the students weeded them; added compost, and planted plants
Summer school students maintain the garden and eat the produce
OUTDOOR PLANTER MODEL
The nurse and Gym facilitated the implementation of a garden
Facilities placed six cement planters next to the school
John Alphin, the gardening coordinator, held verma composting classes, then set up compost bin to kick off program
When planters arrived the students weeded them; added compost, and planted plants
Summer school students maintain the garden and eat the produce
INDOOR GARDENS
Teachers volunteer to adopt a grow light system with window boxes in their classrooms
Students prepare the soil, plant seeds, and water daily
The school tastes the produce once it is mature
Can also be used to grow seedlings to be planted in an outdoor garden in the Spring
Teachers volunteer to adopt a grow light system with window boxes in their classrooms
Students prepare the soil, plant seeds, and water daily
The school tastes the produce once it is mature
Can also be used to grow seedlings to be planted in an outdoor garden in the Spring
Steps to Getting Started at Your School
1. Work with your school’s leadership team for approval and support
2. Contact the garden coordinator , John Alphin, at the Parks Department to discuss possibilities and gain approval from the School Committee 413-886-5116.
3. Consider establishing a gardening team including:
1. Work with your school’s leadership team for approval and support
2. Contact the garden coordinator , John Alphin, at the Parks Department to discuss possibilities and gain approval from the School Committee 413-886-5116.
3. Consider establishing a gardening team including:
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Principal/Assistant Principals
Custodial staff Teachers School Nurse District Dietitian Food service provider |
Parents
Neighborhood groups Residents Local Businesses Churches Gardening Clubs |
Having a strong gardening team is vital to planning, implementation, and ongoing success of your gardening program and can help address such as issues as:
When considering your garden, you will need to decide:
- The gardening maintenance schedule
- Tending the garden during school breaks
- Funding and resources to sustain the garden
When considering your garden, you will need to decide:
- What is your goal for this project?
- What type of garden do you want?
- Indoor vs outdoor
- If outdoor, raised beds, in-ground, or cement planters
- How much room do you have? (ideally you want good south-facing sun)
- What will you grow? (veggies, fruits, herbs, flowers)
- What equipment and supplies do you need to get started?
- How much will it cost?
- How will it be funded?
- What will you do with the product grown?
- Distribute to students
- Hold taste tests
- Use in school lunches (requires special circumstances)
- Hold a farmer’s market
- Sell as a healthy fundraiser
- How to best integrate the gardening curriculum into current studies?
Plotting Your Outdoor School Garden
The following is a great method that will allow you to visualize your garden space as it is now and will help you to envision
what you, your students, and your colleagues want it to look like in the future.
The following is a great method that will allow you to visualize your garden space as it is now and will help you to envision
what you, your students, and your colleagues want it to look like in the future.
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Materials:
1) 3 people to measure the lot and write down measurements 2) 50 – 100 foot tape measure 3) 4 pieces of 8" x 11” graph paper 4) Pencils 5) Ruler 6) Compass 7) String 8) Stakes (large moderately straight sticks can be used as a substitute) 9) Hammer |
Procedure:
1) Tape the 4 sheets of graph paper together. 2a) If your lot has a building beside it, use the edge of the building as a guideline and place stakes at either end, measure the length. 2b) If your lot is in the open, make your own guideline with string. Place stakes on the border from one end of the garden to the other. 3) Repeat the above step for the entire perimeter. Once you have the dimensions of the plot, use one square on your graph paper for each foot (or a different ratio if you like) and draw your lot on the graph paper. 4) Place a compass directly on level ground inside the garden. Note which direction is north and double-check this by turning the compass slightly in either direction. Note north, south, east, and west on the margins of the graph paper. 5) Starting at the top left corner of your lot map, note the permanent structures, plants, bodies of water, planting beds, etc. Place a stake next to the item and a stake where the top of your map is and measure the distance, do the same for the distance from the left side of the map. 6) Measure the size of the item you wish to add and, using the distances from step 5, count the appropriate number of spaces down and across from the top left corner of your map. Once you’re sure of its corresponding location on the map draw the item and label it. |
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Essential items for your map should include:
a) adjacent buildings b) shrubs and trees c) water hydrants or spigots d) sidewalks and streets e) pathways/walkways f) fences or walls h) rubble heaps or rocks j) large holes you want filled Once you have your lot map you can make copies and begin to draw in future projects and plans. The above exercise can be used in lessons, especially math and history classes where geometry and geography are topics covered. |
The Parks Department can assist you with designing your garden considering your given building and lot space.
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Local Resources
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Plants:
Sheriff’s Office 413-732-5772 Putnam Vocational High School 413-787-7424 Gardening the Community 413-693-5340 Local Farmers (see directory at www.buylocalfood.org) Local stores with garden centers: Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, Sixteen Acres Garden Center |
Soil/Compost:
Collins Compost www.collinscompost.com Tools:
Home Depot Lowe's Sixteen Acres Garden Center |
Grants:
(Check with your Parks Department, Administrators, and District Dietitian for the availability of existing funds and for assistance with grant writing)
Home Depot http://grants.kidsgardening.org
USDA Farm to School Grants http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool
Whole Kids Foundation http://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/gardengrants.php
Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation Grants http://responsibility.lowes.com/community-relations/
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, http://www.ftpf.org/fruittree101.htm
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, http://www.aginclassroom.org/Awards_Grants/Mini_Grants/mini_grants_guidelines.html
Action for Healthy Kids http://moneysavingparent.com/action-for-healthy-kids-offers-grants-for-better-school-health/
(Check with your Parks Department, Administrators, and District Dietitian for the availability of existing funds and for assistance with grant writing)
Home Depot http://grants.kidsgardening.org
USDA Farm to School Grants http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool
Whole Kids Foundation http://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/gardengrants.php
Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation Grants http://responsibility.lowes.com/community-relations/
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, http://www.ftpf.org/fruittree101.htm
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, http://www.aginclassroom.org/Awards_Grants/Mini_Grants/mini_grants_guidelines.html
Action for Healthy Kids http://moneysavingparent.com/action-for-healthy-kids-offers-grants-for-better-school-health/
How-To Resources for Getting Started
Forming local partnerships is an excellent way to leverage resources and gain access to needed materials, tools, funding, volunteers, and technical assistance. USDA’s People’s Garden website has how-to videos and databases filled with garden-based learning curricula, free seed and funding sources, and healthy gardening practices. You can call on an Extension
Master Gardener volunteer in your area to help with your garden. The long-term success of your school garden will depend a great deal on relationships with partners. Many hands make light work!
The above Information was provided courtesy of USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative.
For more gardening resources visit: www.usda.gov/peoplesgarden.
American Horticultural Society http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/index.htm
A list of resources for starting a garden with young people.Includes curricula, supplies, grants, and educational materials.
Digging Deeper: Integrating Youth Gardens Into Schools & Communities-A Comprehensive Guide
Kiefer, Joseph and Martin Kemple, Food Works and the Common Roots Press in Partnership with the American Community
Gardening Association (ACGA), 1998. RootsNet@Plainfield.Bypass.com
A beautifully illustrated step-by-step guide for organizing and constructing children's gardens; This book is full of seasonal
gardening activities and project ideas designed to cultivate high academic performance across the subject areas.
California School Garden Network http://www.csgn.org/page.php?id=36
A downloadable comprehensive guidebook that includes step-by-step information, instructions, and resources for anyone
looking to enhance learning through the use of gardens in schools. This key reference guide was developed by a team of
experienced garden educators, nutritionists, state officials, and other garden experts.
The School Garden Wizard: United States Botanic Garden and Chicago Botanic Garden http://www.schoolgardenwizard.org
Allows you to download guides in PDF format that will walk you through the process of creating a school garden, from writing
a proposal to integrating the garden into your curriculum case”plus sections on every other relevant aspect.
It contains easy drop-down menus.
Aggie Horticulture Network: Texas A&M University http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/kindergarden/Child/school/sgintro.htm
This site provides a good introduction to school gardening, including a step-by-step guide to building a school garden, ideas
for themes and curricula, and ways to incorporate nutrition education into gardening. Also includes an outline of a year's
worth of weekly gardening lesson plans.
School Garden Program San Diego County, University of California Cooperative Extension
http://cesandiego.ucdavis.edu/School%5FGardens/
Step-by-step information on how to start and sustain a school garden, from the planning and design through supplies and
garden management responsibility.
Growing Gardens http://www.growing-gardens.org/portland-gardening-resources/school-gardens.php
Growing Gardens works to build community gardens throughout Portland, Oregon and involves students in school gardens
as well as after-school clubs, summer garden camps, teen service and parent/child workshops. The website includes
information on starting a garden, garden-based curricula, and other gardening and farm-related information, primarily links to
other great sources.
American Horticultural Society http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/index.htm
Includes links to the National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, the Partnership for Plant-Based Education, a National
Database of Children’s Gardens, and an extensive list of resources for all aspects of planning and implementing school
gardens.
City Farmer http://www.cityfarmer.org/schgard15.html
This Canadian site links to current and past school gardening projects and contains information on books, organizations, and
other resources.
Edible Schoolyard http://edibleschoolyard.org/
The Edible Schoolyard integrates gardening into the curriculum and lunch programs of Martin Luther King Jr Middle School in
Berkeley, CA. The website includes curricula, tool kits, supplies, grant information, and technical support.
Kids Gardening, National Gardening Association http://www.kidsgardening.com/
Includes information on garden design, school greenhouses, hydroponics, and classroom projects, as well as stories about
and advice from existing gardens; The Grow Lab curriculum available through the website is specifically geared toward
classroom growing.
Let’s Start a School Garden: Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Sch. of Public Health
http://www.jhsph.edu/clf/PDF%20Files/Toolkit.pdf
An excellent downloadable PDF toolkit for starting a school garden, including justification for gardening, organizing, design
considerations, and numerous resources.
The Growing Connection http://www.TheGrowingConnection.com/
The Growing Connection (TGC) is a grassroots project developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations and supported by a progressive coalition of private and public sector partners. It links people and cultures through low
-cost water-efficient and sustainable food growing innovations, using technology and information exchange. All participants in
the program use the EarthBox system, whichcan be used in classrooms as well as outside.
School Sprouts Educational Gardens http://schoolsprouts.com/index.html
A great resource for designing, implementing, and maintaining a successful garden program.
Get Your Hands Dirty: Growing Schools
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools/resources/teachingresources/detail.cfm?id=298
The Growing Schools website, from the UK, has been designed to support teachers in using the “outdoor classroom” as a
resource across the curriculum for pupils of all ages. Get Your Hands Dirty helps teachers consider the issues involved in
growing plants or caring for animals in schools. Free downloadable materials with ideas, practical advice, educational
reasons, and case studies.
How to Start a School Garden, EECoM’s Marin Food System’s Project http://www.eecom.net/mfsp/projects_school_garden.pdf
A brief and clear downloadable guide with specific information particularly helpful in choosing and designing a garden site.
Green School Guidelines, Antioch New England Institute http://www.anei.org/download/11_guidelines_full_version.pdf
The guidelines address five key components of Green Schools, which include school-based gardening, including: curriculum
integration, school grounds enhancement, community-based integration, school sustainability, and administrative support. A
matrix illustrates different levels of guideline implementation.
School Garden Resources, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum http://schoolgardens.unl.edu/
This website offers resources to help design, maintain, and utilize an outdoor space for educational purposes.
Boston Schoolyard Initiative http://www.schoolyards.org/home.htm
Describes the inclusive community design process used as part of the Boston Schoolyard Initiative (BSI), a public/private
partnership that was formally launched in 1995 and is still in operation. By the end of 2010, the BSI will have worked with
and improved schoolyards at approximately 85 schools for all grade levels across Boston’s many diverse neighborhoods.
Urban Harvest http://www.urbanharvest.org/programs/cgardens/startguide.html
A Houston-based non-profit that teaches organic gardening techniques, helps neighborhoods build community gardens,
creates outdoor classrooms at schools, and more. Includes specifics about budgeting, construction, and supplies for starting
a school or community garden.
Gardening Within Arm's Reach: Gardening and experiencing nature for the visually handicapped. How to set up a garden with
this in mind. http://www.cityfarmer.org/schgard15.html. Schuman, Hans (1998) Bartimeus, Zeist. The Nether lands.
Designing a garden specifically for children with visual impairment.
Our Super Garden by Anne Nagro http://gardenabcs.com/Our_Super_Garden.html
Forming local partnerships is an excellent way to leverage resources and gain access to needed materials, tools, funding, volunteers, and technical assistance. USDA’s People’s Garden website has how-to videos and databases filled with garden-based learning curricula, free seed and funding sources, and healthy gardening practices. You can call on an Extension
Master Gardener volunteer in your area to help with your garden. The long-term success of your school garden will depend a great deal on relationships with partners. Many hands make light work!
The above Information was provided courtesy of USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative.
For more gardening resources visit: www.usda.gov/peoplesgarden.
American Horticultural Society http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/index.htm
A list of resources for starting a garden with young people.Includes curricula, supplies, grants, and educational materials.
Digging Deeper: Integrating Youth Gardens Into Schools & Communities-A Comprehensive Guide
Kiefer, Joseph and Martin Kemple, Food Works and the Common Roots Press in Partnership with the American Community
Gardening Association (ACGA), 1998. RootsNet@Plainfield.Bypass.com
A beautifully illustrated step-by-step guide for organizing and constructing children's gardens; This book is full of seasonal
gardening activities and project ideas designed to cultivate high academic performance across the subject areas.
California School Garden Network http://www.csgn.org/page.php?id=36
A downloadable comprehensive guidebook that includes step-by-step information, instructions, and resources for anyone
looking to enhance learning through the use of gardens in schools. This key reference guide was developed by a team of
experienced garden educators, nutritionists, state officials, and other garden experts.
The School Garden Wizard: United States Botanic Garden and Chicago Botanic Garden http://www.schoolgardenwizard.org
Allows you to download guides in PDF format that will walk you through the process of creating a school garden, from writing
a proposal to integrating the garden into your curriculum case”plus sections on every other relevant aspect.
It contains easy drop-down menus.
Aggie Horticulture Network: Texas A&M University http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/kindergarden/Child/school/sgintro.htm
This site provides a good introduction to school gardening, including a step-by-step guide to building a school garden, ideas
for themes and curricula, and ways to incorporate nutrition education into gardening. Also includes an outline of a year's
worth of weekly gardening lesson plans.
School Garden Program San Diego County, University of California Cooperative Extension
http://cesandiego.ucdavis.edu/School%5FGardens/
Step-by-step information on how to start and sustain a school garden, from the planning and design through supplies and
garden management responsibility.
Growing Gardens http://www.growing-gardens.org/portland-gardening-resources/school-gardens.php
Growing Gardens works to build community gardens throughout Portland, Oregon and involves students in school gardens
as well as after-school clubs, summer garden camps, teen service and parent/child workshops. The website includes
information on starting a garden, garden-based curricula, and other gardening and farm-related information, primarily links to
other great sources.
American Horticultural Society http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/index.htm
Includes links to the National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, the Partnership for Plant-Based Education, a National
Database of Children’s Gardens, and an extensive list of resources for all aspects of planning and implementing school
gardens.
City Farmer http://www.cityfarmer.org/schgard15.html
This Canadian site links to current and past school gardening projects and contains information on books, organizations, and
other resources.
Edible Schoolyard http://edibleschoolyard.org/
The Edible Schoolyard integrates gardening into the curriculum and lunch programs of Martin Luther King Jr Middle School in
Berkeley, CA. The website includes curricula, tool kits, supplies, grant information, and technical support.
Kids Gardening, National Gardening Association http://www.kidsgardening.com/
Includes information on garden design, school greenhouses, hydroponics, and classroom projects, as well as stories about
and advice from existing gardens; The Grow Lab curriculum available through the website is specifically geared toward
classroom growing.
Let’s Start a School Garden: Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Sch. of Public Health
http://www.jhsph.edu/clf/PDF%20Files/Toolkit.pdf
An excellent downloadable PDF toolkit for starting a school garden, including justification for gardening, organizing, design
considerations, and numerous resources.
The Growing Connection http://www.TheGrowingConnection.com/
The Growing Connection (TGC) is a grassroots project developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations and supported by a progressive coalition of private and public sector partners. It links people and cultures through low
-cost water-efficient and sustainable food growing innovations, using technology and information exchange. All participants in
the program use the EarthBox system, whichcan be used in classrooms as well as outside.
School Sprouts Educational Gardens http://schoolsprouts.com/index.html
A great resource for designing, implementing, and maintaining a successful garden program.
Get Your Hands Dirty: Growing Schools
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools/resources/teachingresources/detail.cfm?id=298
The Growing Schools website, from the UK, has been designed to support teachers in using the “outdoor classroom” as a
resource across the curriculum for pupils of all ages. Get Your Hands Dirty helps teachers consider the issues involved in
growing plants or caring for animals in schools. Free downloadable materials with ideas, practical advice, educational
reasons, and case studies.
How to Start a School Garden, EECoM’s Marin Food System’s Project http://www.eecom.net/mfsp/projects_school_garden.pdf
A brief and clear downloadable guide with specific information particularly helpful in choosing and designing a garden site.
Green School Guidelines, Antioch New England Institute http://www.anei.org/download/11_guidelines_full_version.pdf
The guidelines address five key components of Green Schools, which include school-based gardening, including: curriculum
integration, school grounds enhancement, community-based integration, school sustainability, and administrative support. A
matrix illustrates different levels of guideline implementation.
School Garden Resources, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum http://schoolgardens.unl.edu/
This website offers resources to help design, maintain, and utilize an outdoor space for educational purposes.
Boston Schoolyard Initiative http://www.schoolyards.org/home.htm
Describes the inclusive community design process used as part of the Boston Schoolyard Initiative (BSI), a public/private
partnership that was formally launched in 1995 and is still in operation. By the end of 2010, the BSI will have worked with
and improved schoolyards at approximately 85 schools for all grade levels across Boston’s many diverse neighborhoods.
Urban Harvest http://www.urbanharvest.org/programs/cgardens/startguide.html
A Houston-based non-profit that teaches organic gardening techniques, helps neighborhoods build community gardens,
creates outdoor classrooms at schools, and more. Includes specifics about budgeting, construction, and supplies for starting
a school or community garden.
Gardening Within Arm's Reach: Gardening and experiencing nature for the visually handicapped. How to set up a garden with
this in mind. http://www.cityfarmer.org/schgard15.html. Schuman, Hans (1998) Bartimeus, Zeist. The Nether lands.
Designing a garden specifically for children with visual impairment.
Our Super Garden by Anne Nagro http://gardenabcs.com/Our_Super_Garden.html
Evidence-Based Outcomes
Research & Policy Supporting Garden-Based Learning
California School Garden Network http://www.csgn.org/page.php?id=9
This section of the CSGN website provides access to research articles, reports, and related documents that provide the
research base for considering garden-based learning within various educational settings. It features resources to assist in
assessing the outcomes and impacts of gardening with children.
A Healthy Nutrition Environment: Linking Education, Activity, and Food through School Gardens
California Department of Education http://www.cde.ca.gov/LS/nu/he/gardenoverview.asp
A downloadable summary of the research-based evidence that California’s school gardens have impact on children’s health,
nutrition, and academic achievement. School Gardens Measure Up: What Research Tells Us
National Gardening Association http://www.kidsgardening.com/dig/digdetail.taf?action=print&id=952
A compilation of the findings of research on a variety of measures, including literacy skills, self-esteem, environmental
attitudes, nutrition, social skills and behaviors, and special needs. Revisiting garden based learning in basic education:
Philosophical roots, historical foundations, best practices and products, impacts, outcomes, and future directions
American Horticultural Society http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/pdf/040909_Revisiting_%20garden_basic_education.pdf
This summary by Daniel Desmond of a study commissioned by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations'
Extension, Education and Communication Service and the UNESCO/International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
describes garden-based learning, relevant literature, principles, best practices, impacts, and outcomes. A complete copy of
the report can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.fao.org/sd/SDR/SDRE/GBL paper for SD.doc.
School Gardens Plus Nutrition Lessons Equal Science Literacy National Science Teachers Association
http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=53348
Summary of findings from recent studies. NSTA Reports--Debra Shapiro, 2/5/2007.
Healthy Gardens Healthy People, Collective Roots http://www.collectiveroots.org/initiatives/healthygardenshealthypeople
Collective Roots works with youth and adults to design and sustain organic gardens and project-based education that is
integrated into the core needs of schools, communities, and environments. The website includes references to sources of
evidence about the various benefits of gardens and the links between health and school gardens.
A Child’s Garden of Standards, California Department of Education
http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/pn/fd/documents/childsgarden.pdf
This downloadable guide is designed to show how garden-based education strongly supports the State's academic content
standards. Although it is not a curriculum, the guide links specific lessons to specific standards for grades two through six
and offers support for the educational value of garden-based learning.
Articles:
Alexander, Jacquelyn, Mary-Wales North, and Deborah K. Hendren (1995). “Master Gardener Classroom Garden Project: An
Evaluation of the Benefits to Children.”Children’s Environments 12(2): 123-133.
Retrieved from http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/12_2/12_2article9.pdf
Graham, H., D.L. Beall, M. Lussier, P. McLaughlin, and S. Zidenberg-Cherr, (2005). Use of school gardens in academic
instruction. J Nutr Educ Behav, 37(3), 147-51. http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:15904578
Graham, H. and Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr (2005). California teachers perceive school gardens as an effective nutritional tool to
promote healthful eating habits. J Am Diet Association, 105 (11):1797-800. http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:16256767
McAleese, Jessica D. and Linda L. Rankin (2007). Garden-Based Nutrition Education Affects Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
in Sixth-Grade Adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107:662-665.
Retrieved from http://oahu-ces.hawaii.edu/FVMM/forms/Garden-Based.pdf
Ozer, E. J. (2007). The Effects of School Gardens on Students and Schools: Conceptualization and Considerations for
Maximizing Health Development. Health Education & Behavior, 34(6), 846-863.
http://heb.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/34/6/846?rss=1
Zaplatosch, Jaime (2006). Do Youth Gardening Experiences Lead To Greater Education Opportunities?, Master of Education
thesis, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois. http://www.kidsgardening.com/jzthesis.pdf
Research & Policy Supporting Garden-Based Learning
California School Garden Network http://www.csgn.org/page.php?id=9
This section of the CSGN website provides access to research articles, reports, and related documents that provide the
research base for considering garden-based learning within various educational settings. It features resources to assist in
assessing the outcomes and impacts of gardening with children.
A Healthy Nutrition Environment: Linking Education, Activity, and Food through School Gardens
California Department of Education http://www.cde.ca.gov/LS/nu/he/gardenoverview.asp
A downloadable summary of the research-based evidence that California’s school gardens have impact on children’s health,
nutrition, and academic achievement. School Gardens Measure Up: What Research Tells Us
National Gardening Association http://www.kidsgardening.com/dig/digdetail.taf?action=print&id=952
A compilation of the findings of research on a variety of measures, including literacy skills, self-esteem, environmental
attitudes, nutrition, social skills and behaviors, and special needs. Revisiting garden based learning in basic education:
Philosophical roots, historical foundations, best practices and products, impacts, outcomes, and future directions
American Horticultural Society http://www.ahs.org/youth_gardening/pdf/040909_Revisiting_%20garden_basic_education.pdf
This summary by Daniel Desmond of a study commissioned by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations'
Extension, Education and Communication Service and the UNESCO/International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
describes garden-based learning, relevant literature, principles, best practices, impacts, and outcomes. A complete copy of
the report can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.fao.org/sd/SDR/SDRE/GBL paper for SD.doc.
School Gardens Plus Nutrition Lessons Equal Science Literacy National Science Teachers Association
http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=53348
Summary of findings from recent studies. NSTA Reports--Debra Shapiro, 2/5/2007.
Healthy Gardens Healthy People, Collective Roots http://www.collectiveroots.org/initiatives/healthygardenshealthypeople
Collective Roots works with youth and adults to design and sustain organic gardens and project-based education that is
integrated into the core needs of schools, communities, and environments. The website includes references to sources of
evidence about the various benefits of gardens and the links between health and school gardens.
A Child’s Garden of Standards, California Department of Education
http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/pn/fd/documents/childsgarden.pdf
This downloadable guide is designed to show how garden-based education strongly supports the State's academic content
standards. Although it is not a curriculum, the guide links specific lessons to specific standards for grades two through six
and offers support for the educational value of garden-based learning.
Articles:
Alexander, Jacquelyn, Mary-Wales North, and Deborah K. Hendren (1995). “Master Gardener Classroom Garden Project: An
Evaluation of the Benefits to Children.”Children’s Environments 12(2): 123-133.
Retrieved from http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/12_2/12_2article9.pdf
Graham, H., D.L. Beall, M. Lussier, P. McLaughlin, and S. Zidenberg-Cherr, (2005). Use of school gardens in academic
instruction. J Nutr Educ Behav, 37(3), 147-51. http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:15904578
Graham, H. and Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr (2005). California teachers perceive school gardens as an effective nutritional tool to
promote healthful eating habits. J Am Diet Association, 105 (11):1797-800. http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:16256767
McAleese, Jessica D. and Linda L. Rankin (2007). Garden-Based Nutrition Education Affects Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
in Sixth-Grade Adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107:662-665.
Retrieved from http://oahu-ces.hawaii.edu/FVMM/forms/Garden-Based.pdf
Ozer, E. J. (2007). The Effects of School Gardens on Students and Schools: Conceptualization and Considerations for
Maximizing Health Development. Health Education & Behavior, 34(6), 846-863.
http://heb.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/34/6/846?rss=1
Zaplatosch, Jaime (2006). Do Youth Gardening Experiences Lead To Greater Education Opportunities?, Master of Education
thesis, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois. http://www.kidsgardening.com/jzthesis.pdf
For More Information on Springfield Public Schools’ Gardening Program
Springfield, Massachusetts
Please contact:
John Alphin, School Garden Coordinator
jalphin@springfieldcityhall.com
Springfield, Massachusetts
Please contact:
John Alphin, School Garden Coordinator
jalphin@springfieldcityhall.com
