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Know Your Food

Submitted by cynthiad on Mon, 08/13/2012 - 16:05
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By: 
Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff
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The 2012 Food Day School Curriculum was designed for educators as a Food Day resource that can be used in the classroom or to increase your own knowledge about what it means to Eat Real: Download the 2012 Food Day School Curriculum

Many times gardening is promoted as a way to teach youth where their food comes from.

Many times gardening is promoted as a way to teach youth where their food comes from. This phrase, “know where your food comes from,” is one that has received much attention and rightfully so.

Developing Character in the Garden

Submitted by cynthiad on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 07:39
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Anti-Bullying Strategies
By: 
Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff
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Creating a No-Bully Zone

Although the 2011-2012 school year is coming to an end, this is a great time to start planning an anti-bullying unit for the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Here is an activity to guide you and your students through the process of designing your own anti-bullying contract.

Download the Bullying Prevention Activity (PDF) »

A principal's insight on how school gardens can eliminate bullying.    

Young gardeners contributing to the larger effort of beautifying the school.Within a garden live many individual plants. Each of these plants alone can be beautiful and unique, but as a whole, alongside all the other plants, they are so much more.

Compost Happens

Submitted by cynthiad on Mon, 02/13/2012 - 16:38
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By: 
Jean Persely for NGA with Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff
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Jean shares some of her ideas to get kids interested in composting:

  • Ask students what happens to blue jeans and t-shirts in the landfills? Can they be composted?
  • Ask for an old cotton t-shirt and/or an old pair of jeans to be donated. Place them at the bottom of the compost pile, or use a smaller piece for a worm bin. Do the students realize they are wearing plants? How long will it take to break down? Have students make guesses as to what will happen to these old clothes.
  • Do you have multiple working compost bins at school? Have a t-shirt composting race with another class. Which class will have a faster compost pile? What causes one compost bin to decompose materials faster than the other? Was one pile being turned more than the other? Take the temperature inside the pile. Is one pile hotter than the other?
  • Consider doing an experiment with a piece of a t-shirt in one pile and a plastic bottle in another. Let the students predict what will happen.

As the wife of an active duty Marine, Jean Persely has made the most of her frequent moves by teaching others to “bloom where they are planted.” Jean has committed to making a positive impact on any community she joins. It was in 2005, that Jean developed a vision to impact a school community by planning the introduction of a garden.

The Beginning of a Library Garden

Submitted by cynthiad on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 10:54
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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.

Companion Planting

Submitted by sarahp on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 02:01
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By: 
Eve Pranis, NGA Staff
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Download related lesson plan Growing Garden Companions.

Arranging crops so they complement each other in some way is known as companion planting. Plants that have different requirements — for nutrients, sunlight, and space, for instance — often make good garden buddies. Because they are unlikely to compete for resources, you can plant them close together to save space. What's more, some combinations can actually help one or more of the companions flourish. Consider the following factors:

Growing Food

Submitted by sarahp on Mon, 12/03/2012 - 01:10
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By: 
Sarah Pounders
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Download a sample lesson plan, "The Producers," from Growing Food

Ask your students to tell you where our food comes from. Do they respond with a restaurant or a grocery store name? Do they suggest it is made in a factory? What about on a farm? Do any of your students hint about our food supply's connection to nature and our environment?

Plant it Forward

Submitted by sarahp on Fri, 11/30/2012 - 00:18
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By: 
Sarah Pounders

Youth gardens offer many opportunities for gardeners to give back to their community. Drawing from the concept of “Pay It Forward,” by which a person who has received a gift repays it by giving a gift to another instead of the original donor, encourage your young gardeners this year to “Plant It Forward.” Here are a few ideas to consider:

Plant a Thankful Gardener

Submitted by sarahp on Sun, 10/28/2012 - 21:56
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By: 
Sarah Pounders
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Download this month's lesson plans:

Pressed Flower Thank-you Notes

Tree ID

Thanking volunteers and sponsors is an important activity for all youth garden programs. Although appreciation for contributions should be shown year round, Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in the celebration of harvest, is a great time to present your loyal supporters with a special gift to acknowledge their generous donations of time, talents and funds.

Raised Bed Gardens 101

Submitted by sarahp on Thu, 09/13/2012 - 00:25
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By: 
Sarah Pounders
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Looking for ways to teach youth about raised bed gardens? Download the following pdf files:

Raised Bed Garden Design Contest Lesson

Raised Bed Garden Materials Comparison Worksheet

Structured raised bed gardens help school gardening programs thrive. Although they increase the initial investment of time and money, raised bed gardens are generally easier to maintain and allow young gardeners to spend more time learning in the garden, rather than struggling with challenges like difficult soil conditions and weeds. They also provide garden programs with a more permanent presence encouraging participants and administrators to view the garden as an important resource that should be used often and sustained over time.

Holding Onto the Garden — Environmental Sustainability

Submitted by cynthiad on Tue, 06/12/2012 - 10:01
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By: 
Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff with Carol Fraser
Tips for increasing the environmental sustainability of your site's garden.

“We make decisions in the garden based on what is good for the earth, not solely what is good for our short-term needs.” (Hurricane High School, Hurricane, WV)

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Last updated on 06/19/2013