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Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

  • 1.  Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 01-06-2025 12:30:00 PM

    Hi! I am a garden club advisors at our elementary school.

    We are looking to have our garden club (grades 5 & 6) help redesign the landscape beds in the front of our school. We want to focus on native perennials and also leave some room for the annuals (zinnias/cosmos/marigolds) that the kids start from seed over winter. 

    Has anyone done something like this before? Any suggestions on resources or how to best do this with kids?

    We are zone 6b (previously 6a). Full sun, very windy. Compacted, clay soil. 

    Thanks!

    Monica



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    Monica Naugler
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  • 2.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 01-07-2025 04:38:00 PM

    We have done something similar at our school - here are some thoughts:

    1. partner with your local ag-extension office (most places have these) or your local master gardener/naturalist or native plant society groups. These can often provide resources, plants and even volunteers to help make your event a success.
    2. have a clear plan of what you want to do and ALL the required supplies (it's not just about the plants and soil, but making sure you have enough gloves, shovels, trowels, rakes/hoes etc...)
    3. map out the area and what you want to put where
    4. Then work on the logistics of your students - when, where, what they will do
      1. you will likely need to do some soil remediation if you have hard clay pack, so this will have to happen before you plant anything. You will need to add organic material and some material that will help your soil drain a bit better. Your local experts can help with this too.
      2. the soil may need to sit for a bit (or maybe you need to plant some winter clover to help with the remediation process)
      3. later in the spring you can maybe start adding the plants you want to permanently be there and the seeded flowers. 
    5. Also have clear expectations of students and teachers on how the area will be maintained once everything is planted. You cannot just plant it and leave it or you may be setting the kids up for failure (we learned this the hard way).
      1. how will it get watered?
      2. who will weed it?
      3. who will trim and shape the larger plants?

    Good luck - it is extremely satisfying when things start growing!



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    Patricia Nicoll
    Saint Mary's Hall
    SAN ANTONIO TX
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  • 3.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 01-08-2025 12:34:00 PM

    Thank you so much!! I'll definitely reach out to our extension office and see what kind of resources/support they can provide us. I'm hoping the can also provide some information on soil remediation.

    The area we are hoping to do this in is currently already part of the landscape in front of our school, so it would be maintained by our grounds crew - outside of the kids planting the annuals. I've talked with our current facilities head and he is on board the have the kids help design it. Its currently a very tired looking landscape that needs some love. 

    Thank you for your help!!



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    Monica Naugler
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  • 4.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 27 days ago

    Hi Monica,

    What a great idea! We have many schools that have embarked on similar projects at their schools. I wholeheartedly concur with the suggestions offered by Patricia Nicoll. Doing a site evaluation beforehand is essential and a great activity to have your students involved in. Site preparation is also essential for the success of your garden including have a soil test done before planting anything so that you know what amendments you might have to add. Working with your local Master Gardeners or County extension Office will help you determine what to do.

    I would also add that you might want to be sure that your plan meets with admin and facilities approval especially if any building staff will be responsible for any long-term maintenance. This will also help avoid any inadvertent removal of plants. It has happened at our schools especially if the area begins to look poorly maintained. It's also a great way to collaborate and get buy-in from other staff.

     I would also consider if there are ways you can find some curriculum tie-ins. This also helps to incorporate your project into the culture of your school. Another suggestion is to consider signage, another activity students can play a role in developing. Including annuals is a great idea. The flowers you are considering are easy to care for and maintain and provide a great opportunity for seed harvesting in the fall. I have found students love this activity and have even designed their own seed packets that can be used as a fund-raising opportunity.



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    [Karen] [Taylor]
    [Get2Green Support Specialist]
    [Fairfax County Public Schools]
    [Fairfax] [VA]
    [She,Her]
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 27 days ago

    Just to tag on something about signage:

    If your school has a wood laser or 3D printer, you can make your own that look great and the students can help create them...

     

    Patricia B Nicoll 

    Form 7 Life Science 

    Environmental Interest Group Sponsor 

      

    Saint Mary's Hall 

    9401 Starcrest Drive 

    San Antonio, TX  78217 

    www.smhall.org 

      

    (210) 483-9255 office 

    (210) 483-9106 fax 

      

    facebookicontwittericoninstaiconliveStreamicon

     

    "I am a complete millionaire in odd and curious little facts." Charles Darwin

     






  • 6.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 24 days ago

    Oh that is a great idea!!! Our High School has some of those so we will have to reach out and see if this is something we can partner with them on.



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    Monica Naugler
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  • 7.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 24 days ago

    Hi Karen!

    We are working with facilities to make sure that this is something that can be maintained long term for our building. We want to make sure this isn't something that grows for a few years and then turns to weeds and mess. We've had some inadvertent removal of seedlings before - so we learned that lesson the hard way unfortunately!

    We are definitely going to work on signage! I'd love the kids to be involved in the writing and design process I hope that we can work with a local sign maker to make something that is professional and will last. 

    Thank you so much for so many suggestions!



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    Monica Naugler
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  • 8.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 27 days ago

    Hi Monica, great project!  I echo others' thoughts here about ongoing maintenance.

    I suggest reaching out to your local chapter of Wild Ones and People and Pollinators -- both provide limited grants, but more important, are one-stop shops for info on native plant soil, sun and water requirements, often have volunteers who are willing to work with students/schools on design, and often have free plant and seed swaps.

    IMHO irrigation is the most important component to a garden becoming established (even if no supplemental water is needed in future years) - so coordination with the facilities department and checking that sprinklers can be eliminated/dezoned or just turned off is worth exploring first.

    sue



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    sue salinger
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  • 9.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 26 days ago

    Hi Monica, what a wonderful project!

    School Garden Network (based in Northern California) has a variety of resources on creating schoolyard habitats with your students, found at www.schoolgardens.org > Programs > "Schoolyard Habitat". There are several resources on native plants and habitat design, site preparation and planting, water-wise gardening, and ongoing habitat garden maintenance. Depending on age, students can get involved in many parts of the garden design and installation process - including measuring the site and making a site map, doing simple soil tests to learn about soil texture and microbial life, making native plant signs, and of course being part of the actual garden preparation, planting, and direct seeding of native wildflower annuals.

    A great way to introduce younger students to learning about habitats and involving them in the garden design and plant selection is by teaching them about birds, butterflies, and bees that live or migrate in your area, and then introducing a few native plants that they rely on for food and shelter (that also fit with your school's soil, water, and temperature conditions). Students can then choose what animals they are most excited about supporting, and then select plants based on this criteria.

    School Garden Network also has a library of ecology-focused curriculum found at www.schoolgardens.org > Resources > Curriculum Library > "Learning Ecosystems" Curriculum.

    If you're on the East Coast, you may want to search "Schoolyard Habitat" to see if there are any local organizations that can support and fund your project (for instance, Audubon Connecticut has a Schoolyard Habitat Program, and they also have a variety of curriculum and other resources: https://ct.audubon.org/schoolyard-habitat). As mentioned in another post, Wild Ones (https://wildones.org) is another great resource. You could also reach out to local businesses to see if they would like to donate any tools, bulk amendments, or plants (eg. local native plant nurseries, hardware stores, native habitat restoration and landscaping orgs, etc.). 


    Best of luck and have fun!
    Michelle


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    Michelle Krieg
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  • 10.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 24 days ago

    Hi Michelle!

    Thank you for sharing those resources! I will check those out for sure. Those sound so great. 

    I will definitely have to work up some letters to write to some local nurseries for some plants that we could use. Our budget is of course limited so any help is amazing!

    Thank you!!! 



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    Monica Naugler
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  • 11.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 16 days ago

    Hi Monica!

    If you haven't already, check out the GrowNative! landscape designs. We have slightly modified several of these for some of our school's native gardens. 



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    Kendall Slaughter
    Farm to School Specialist
    Springfield Public Schools
    Springfield, Mo
    keslaughter@spsmail.org
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  • 12.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 16 days ago

    Hi Kendall!

    Thank you for that Resource! I will definitely take a look at those and I'm sure they will definitely be helpful as we plan our garden at school.

    Thanks so much!



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    Monica Naugler
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  • 13.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 2 days ago

    You can start by having a brainstorming session with the students to draw out ideas for the landscape. They could research native plants for your zone (6b) and pick their favorites, then create a collaborative design based on sunlight, space, and color schemes. Also, The Missouri Botanical Garden: They have excellent resources and plant lists for native plants in your area (Missouri). 

    Plants:

    • Black-eyed Susan
    • Purple Coneflower
    • Blazing Star
    • Wild Bergamot 
    • Switchgrass
    • Butterfly Weed
    • Bee Balm 


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    Kalie J
    Fostering Hope Ohio
    OH
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  • 14.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 2 days ago

    Thank you so much! That is a really helpful list and resource! We are in Pennsylvania, but a lot of those are also native to our area! 

    Have a great day!
    Monica



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    Monica Naugler
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  • 15.  RE: Native Plant Landscape Design with Students

    Posted 7 hours ago

    Check out Home Grown National Park's website for resources for Kids https://homegrownnationalpark.org/hnp-kids/

    and Landscaping  a Native Garden which was really easy to follow with a group of homeschoolers, roughly grades 4-6.

    https://homegrownnationalpark.org/design-a-native-plant-landscape/

    Their discussion of what is a keystone plant and why they are important and how to include them in a small garden is great.

    https://homegrownnationalpark.org/keystone-plant-guides/



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    Judy Pfister
    Delaware Master Gardener
    Millsboro, DE
    Judy
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