SCHOOL GARDEN CHARACTERISTICS
School Garden Concept: A safe, accessible, identifiable outdoor environment for children to interact with nature and plants that supports educational activities and play which improve cognitive ability and motor skills, and promote creativity, emotional wellness, pro-social values and attachment to the natural world through structured and unstructured activities and experiences that motivate learning in all subject areas.
- Planning:
- Determine use, users and desired outcomes of garden
- Build team of interested parties such as administrators/school board, teachers, maintenance staff/volunteers, parents, students, etc.
- Consider garden fit for existing curriculum and meeting state standards
- Brainstorm funding sources
- Determine construction/economy and maintenance needs
- General Characteristics:
- Scale and size to accommodate all age and group ranges
- Safety concerns (provide shade, avoid injury, etc)
- Universal accessibility and accommodation for circulation and movement
- Opportunities for access to plants at all levels/heights
- Plant Selection:
- Plants that engage all five senses to support opportunities for touch and interaction
- Plants with multi-seasonal attributes
- Plants with uses that fit within all areas of curriculum
- Plants for observing, eating, harvesting, nurturing, propagating and drawing
- Plant for people-plant and people-wildlife interaction
- Movable plant objects such as seeds acorns, cones
More information added weekly!
"The pond has provided an abundance of plant and animal life to enhance our science studies. A frog 'invasion' led to a predator-prey study. A wireworm 'invasion' led to an interest in the environment and in decomposers... Students inquire more, learn better and retain more as a result of these opportunities... Art, social studies, Spanish and English instructors also utilize the site." Joan Christen, Beatrice High School Instructor
Creating a school garden
Theme Gardens--butterfly and water gardens
Design Assistance
Sample designs for school gardens (coming)
School gardens to visit (coming)
For more information from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, contact...
Christina Hoyt or Sue Kohles
