School Gardens/First steps

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Why should we have a School Garden?

What are the steps to plan and set-up the garden?

1. Set the aims
2. Get support
3. Decide which classes
4. Decide what to grow
5. Find a garden site
6. Prepare the site
7. Make an action plan
8. Put plan to practise
9. Gardening methods

What can children learn in the garden?

2. Get support from the head-teacher and the community

Support is crucial to the success of a School Garden. To ensure broad and continuous support it is important to continually inform and consult with all interested parties.

Who is interested in supporting a School Garden?

Parents and families are generally interested in School Gardens if they can see value for their children. Within the local community, you will find people who are knowledgeable about specific gardening aspects, such as the cultivation of fruit trees and medicinal plants. It is worth investing some time to encourage these potential supporters to contribute their knowledge, skills and, possibly, some basic materials.

It is important to have the support of the head-teacher and the interest of the whole school.

For more information see "Part 2: Who will help us?" of the FAO manual "Setting up and running a School Garden - a manual for teachers, parents and communities".

3. Decide which classes to involve

Small primary schools can have a high number of students, sometimes between 200 or 400 children. It is obvious that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to involve such large numbers in well coordinated gardening activities. Working with more than 20 or 30 children in the garden at one time is already a great challenge. Therefore, it helps if one or two classes are chosen to set-up and start the School Garden. If classes have more than 20 or 30 students, have teams that work in the garden at different times.

Gardening is fun for children of all ages. However, if the garden belongs to a primary school, it may be best to start with students of a higher age, between 9 and 14 years old.

For more information see the "Introduction" of the FAO manual "Setting up and running a School Garden - a manual for teachers, parents and communities".