Savers for Schools

Why a School Garden?

Creating a living, active, vibrant school garden, gives children the rare opportunity to learn one of the most vital life skills, growing food.

To understand why you should establish a school garden, it’s important to realise that this local school based initiative has the capacity to make an environmental difference through the active planting of sustainable organic foods. It also helps to educate the young energetic gardeners in global issues such as peak oil, fair-trade, carbon footprints, food miles v local food, food security, biodiversity and habitats. And all of this is learned though their school garden.

Through experimentation and active participation, children acquire a natural, positive response and approach to daunting issues and an awareness of how their actions can change the world. Playing an active part in the creation and development of a school garden gives children respect for their environment. If this is nurtured in their formative years it will guide their environmental decisions throughout their lives.

Through experimentation, active participation, children acquire a natural, positive response and approach to daunting issues also an awareness of how their actions can change the world. Playing an active part in the creation and development of a school garden yields children with a respect for their environment, if nurtured in their formative years, will guide their future environmental decisions throughout their lives.

Getting Started

• 1. Establish how much land is available for the garden, start small, but always remember that down the road you may need more space for other garden projects i.e. a pond, willow dome, a small tree nursery, so if there’s more on offer take it. Always think of it in the long term, there are school gardens in Ireland growing for over 20 years.
• 2. Plant native trees, apple trees and hedgerow plants first as these are the slowest growing plants. Although they take longer to establish they support a wide range of wildlife
• 3. Always keep conservation in mind when gardening i.e. water usage, reuse, using peat free compost.
• 4.Establish from the start that the garden will be an organic, chemical free garden and communicate this to the caretaker and principal.
• 5.Make a wish list with the children, think of everything you can possibly put in your garden; it doesn’t mean you’re committed to the list but it does outline all of the possibilities and can be looked at every year to decide that years projects.
• 6. Consider making the Organic School Garden wheelchair accessible. Even if its not needed now it may be needed in future so make paths wide enough and at least 2 beds high enough.
• 7. Get the parents involved as they can be a good resource for materials for the garden i.e. topsoil, wood, cow manure, gardening experience etc.
• 8. Look at the garden all year round as there are lots of seasonal activities and you will become familiar with the rhythms of the seasons.