Container Gardening

Growing Plants on the Roof

Submitted by sarahp on Thu, 03/28/2013 - 00:55

By:

Sarah Pounders

Right Side Box:

Download this month's lesson What’s Up.

In small urban schoolyards, sometimes it pays to look up when searching for the perfect spot to grow plants. That is exactly how PS 41 in Greenwich Village began their journey to create their extraordinary Greenroof Environmental Literacy Laboratory (GELL).

Cylinder Gardening

Submitted by sarahp on Mon, 02/25/2013 - 00:52

By:

Sarah Pounders

Right Side Box:

Download the Cylinder Gardening Lesson for more details.

A big gardening program…in a little garden space. Cylinder Gardening uses bottomless cylinders (1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket) as small, individual gardens for growing vegetables. Perfect for schools with limited growing space and poor soil, cylinder gardens require little land and minimal pre-gardening preparation or experience. Once the cylinders are filled and planted, the only labor is minor maintenance, watering and harvesting. Recommended plant varieties mature from seed in 30 to 90 days to fit within one school semester.

Indoor Gardening

Submitted by sarahp on Sat, 12/29/2012 - 01:04

By:

Sarah Pounders and NGA Staff

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Download sample lesson plans from GrowLab®: Activities for Growing Minds

Make Room for Raddy (pdf)

Plantenstein (pdf)

Does the weather have you stuck inside your classroom? Invite the outdoors in… plant an indoor garden!

Most classrooms garden during the fall and spring, but by incorporating plant activities indoors you can reap the benefits of garden programs year round. Using grow lights or sunny windowsills, your class can experiment with growing a wide range of plants, from houseplants and blooming bulbs to edible crops like radishes and lettuce.

Blooming Gifts

Submitted by sarahp on Fri, 11/30/2012 - 01:39

By:

Sarah Pounders

Blooming plants make wonderful gifts for special occasions. They add to the festive atmosphere of any event and when the blooms begin to fade, they can be enjoyed for their foliage or composted.

The Kitchen [Community] Learning Gardens

Submitted by sarahp on Thu, 09/13/2012 - 01:10

By:

Jaime Zaplatosch

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One of seven kids who enter kindergarten is obese.
The Journal of the American Dietetic Association published a study finding sixth-grade students involved in a garden-based nutrition education program increased their fruit and vegetable consumption by 2.5 servings per day, more than doubling their overall fruit and vegetable consumption. McAleese JD, Rankin LL. Garden-based nutrition education affects fruit and vegetable consumption in sixth-grade adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107:662-665.

Designed as an educational tool to inspire spontaneous play by children and create an attractive outdoor classroom for teachers, the non-profit The Kitchen [Community] developed an innovative raised bed system known as Learning Gardens to combat obesity at schools around the U.S. “Our hope is that the Learning Gardens will give children an understanding of food, healthy eating, and environmental stewardship through lesson plans and activities that tie into the existing school curriculum,” says Kimbal Musk, co-founder of The Kitchen [Community].

Growing BIG in the Great Outdoors

Submitted by cynthiad on Tue, 02/28/2012 - 10:12

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

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Bonnie Plants’ Third Grade Cabbage Program is a free program offered to third grade classrooms nationwide. The purpose is to support youth to eat healthy and be garden advocates. To support this purpose, Bonnie Plants offers resources online to help students grow their cabbage. In addition, lesson ideas and recipes are provided along with help for teachers and parents. Visit the Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program website for more details about registration.

You can also view a complete list of the Third Grade Cabbage Program scholarship winners for 2011 for each state.

Being outside has so much to offer; whether you are a gardener or not, there is a place for you in the Great Outdoors. Each year, thousands of third graders nationwide find a special place outside by participating in a program which challenges them to grow an oversized cabbage.

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.

Raised Bed Gardens 101

Submitted by sarahp on Thu, 09/13/2012 - 00:25

By:

Sarah Pounders

Right Side Box:

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.

School Gardens = Natural Playgrounds

Submitted by cynthiad on Mon, 08/13/2012 - 15:07

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Teachers at the K-State Center for Child Development use the produce from the garden to prepare simple dishes with their students. Here’s a recipe for Caprese Salad that is easy to make in a classroom.

Ingredients:

Thick slices of a Ripe Tomato (enough for each child to have at least one)
An equal number of slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
Twice as many leaves of fresh basil
A pinch of salt and pepper
Olive oil

Make sure everyone washes their hands and the work surface prior to touching the food.

Starting at the edge of a serving platter, place a slice of tomato, a basil leaf, a slice of mozzarella and another basil leaf. Continue in that pattern, forming a spiral from the outside in, until all the ingredients have been arranged. The salad should end in the center of the platter. Drizzle the salad with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper and salt.

Upon arriving at the Center for Child Development (CCD) on the campus of Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, visitors quickly recognize the uniqueness of the facility.

Holding Onto the Garden — Environmental Sustainability

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff with Carol Fraser

“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)