Problem Solving

The Beginning of a Library Garden

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

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NGA's Own LibraryGardens.org

Libraries have a unique opportunity to provide a visual connection between literature and nature. Grants are available to support library gardens, but often require someone with a vision. National Gardening Association offers assistance in this area. Whether you’re interested in developing a particular theme garden or a garden that encompasses a variety of books, our professional staff of landscape architects, horticulturists and educators can help you develop your vision. Visit Library Gardens for more information about how we can design your library garden which will in turn help you as your seek support for funding the installation of this space.

The Village of Plain City Garden features several animal topiaries named after classic authors.In an effort to preserve the historic Village of Plain City, Ohio, local gardeners and members of the county Master Gardener program pulled their resources to establish a landmark for the town.

Volunteer Surveys, FREE Download

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 15:49

By:

NGA Staff

As a garden coordinator, if you can understand what motivates your volunteers you'll be more prepared to recruit, support and retain a support network. Download Volunteer Surveys(PDF) »

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Promoting Environmental Stewardship through Rain Gardens

By:

Ann English for NGA with Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

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How to Design a Rain Garden

This detailed account provides step-by-step instructions for designing, installing, and maintaining a rain garden. Additional content provided to use this as a high school activity. Download How to Design a Rain Garden (PDF) »

Rain Garden at Coolidge High School, Washington DCSchool gardens have a long and successful history with a variety of purposes. Ninety six percent of the 2010-2011 National Gardening Assoc

Exploring Water — Four Lessons to Teach about the Importance of Water

Submitted by cynthiad on Tue, 02/14/2012 - 15:09

By:

NGA Staff

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Each lesson within this curriculum unit can be taught independently or in succession with the others. Download the lessons below:

This curriculum unit, developed by the education staff at the National Gardening Association addresses the core specific elements of the water cycle for K-12 students. There are four grade specific lesson plans, but the lessons can easily be adapted to meet the needs of any age classroom. Content in the lessons covers different aspects of the water cycle and applying the principles to activities and inquiry that can be discussed in and out of the school garden.

One Stop for Your Garden-Based Education: A Garden in Every (Home)School

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

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Keep your Students Learning over the Winter Break!

Here are some fun activities you can send home with your students over the winter break to keep them engaged. You may even consider encouraging your students to get their parent's involved and complete these activities by offering extra credit when they return from winter break.

K-5th grade activity: How to Create a Moss Garden »

5th-12th grade activity: Serving Nutrition at Home »

Successful school gardening with kids in any situation requires a set of great resources. Having resources that enable you to seamlessly use the garden to enhance the core curricular areas makes your job, as the teacher, that much easier.

Exploring Math in the Garden

Submitted by editor on Tue, 03/16/2010 - 10:33

Hands-on Learning Measures Up

Are you searching for ways to bring your math lessons to life? Are you trying to inspire students who have trouble visualizing textbook examples? Do you need interactive models to demonstrate basic mathematic principles? Then try teaching your math class in the garden!

Program Spotlight: Math in the Garden

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 14:52

"During a Saturday workshop for a group of teenage girls, we told them they would be working with graphs," shares Math in the Garden Project Director Jenny White. "Groans filled the room. Then we distributed plates with an array of flowers and asked them to pick an attribute and make a graph of their flowers. The attitude and enthusiasm for the activity soared.

Math Opportunities in the Garden

Submitted by admin on Tue, 02/16/2010 - 12:34

Question: How can I connect math learning to the garden experience?

Radishes, Roots, and 'Rithmetic

Submitted by admin on Thu, 05/28/2009 - 08:42

"My students had always disliked math," reported a fourth grade teacher from Hartford, CT, "but when we started a classroom garden, they eagerly figured out how many hours to leave our lights on, measured and graphed growth rates, and predicted when their vegetables would be mature. Their excitement about growing things helped their math skills soar."