Summer Camp

The National Gardening Association and The Home Depot would like to congratulate the 2013 Youth Garden Grant Winners. Here are some tips and ideas from the inspirational programs receiving the top Youth Garden Grant awards:

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:

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:

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.

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.

Visitors to the NGA headquarters at Vermont Garden Park sitting comfortably outdoorsMany times, as gardeners, we think of the garden as “ours”. The garden exists to fulfill our purposes whether to provide food for our family, education for our students, or a beautiful setting for family and friends to enjoy.