Getting Started

For the Adult in Charge:

1. Generate children's interest in the garden with:

     books

     videos

     guest speakers

     Field Trips to Free Gardens and Public Parks

          -Boyd Hill

          -Wheedon Island

2. Make a garden club:

     When students feel like something is a choice or privilege they will take better care of their responsibilities.

     Create a contest for a club name: Who can make up the best name for OUR Garden Club?

          -provide a small prize for winner

     The size of the club will be determined by the size of your garden.

          -allow 1-2 ft per student 

Once the Club is formed:

1. Begin in the classroom with simple instruction about keeping a garden.

     Explain the responsibility that goes along with keeping the garden alive and well.

          -What do we have to do to keep a garden?

               -watering needs

               -fertilizer needs

               -harvesting

               -weeding

               -lighting needs

2. Move it Outside!

     Assign a 1 to 2 foot piece of land to each student--this keeps them from getting overwhelmed by a big garden and gives them a sense

          of ownership.

          *The more the students feel that they "own" the garden the more responsible they will feel for keeping it alive.

     Choose what you want to plant.

          -survey the garden space and discuss what would grow best in that area based on lighting, watering, soil and general rules for what

          grows best in your area

               *this information can be found on the internet or in a local garden center

3. Let's Decorate

     Create garden signs.

          - signs for each plot of land with child's name and what will grow there

          - ie " Casey's Corn"

          -Create one big sign for the whole garden, ie "The Inch by Inch Garden"

     Let them be creative with this: colors, glitter, stickers etc.

4. Prepare the soil, rope or fence off the garden area

5. Plant the seeds and perform all the necessary maintenance on the garden

     This website will help you create a year long schedule for your garden: 

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/nutrition/ideas/lessons.html 

          *There is always something to do in a garden, if you are waiting for the plants to grow do some weeding. There are also plenty of free online tools

               and ideas for fun garden related activities.

               This website is a good example:

               http://www.earthbox.com/pdf/education/prek-grade1-sample-lesson-plan.pdf

          *On an off day you can create birdfeeders with string, pinecones, peanut butter and birdseed. (make sure you don't have any peanut allergies- if you

               do you can create a feeder in another way)

                    To do:

                         Roll pinecones in peanut butter, or smooth it onto pinecones with plastic knife

                         Roll covered pinecone in birdseed and hang in tree with string or Christmas ornament hook

6. If you decide to plant fruits or vegetables:

     Harvest food when ready and cook a meal together.

     Allow students to take home some of the food they harvest.

     Trade: use this as an excuse for a quick economics lesson

          -allow students to trade veggies to take home

          -set up the food on tables (like a farmers market) and allow students to "shop" their food is their money "I will trade you one tomato

               for two strawberries"

          -explain that this is how people used to get things they needed (by trading what they have for what they need)