Growing Together: Open Forum

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

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!

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.). 

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

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

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. 

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

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

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 

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

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

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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