From the garden experience of Felder Rushing

CURRICULUM NEEDS ASIDE, here are a few design features found in most successful school/youth gardens around the country.

Note: While youth should be involved in as many aspects of design as possible, EVERY consideration must be given for SAFETY (physical hazards include sharp edges, falls, water features, bee stings, poisonous plants and seeds, etc.), and MAINTENANCE. These CANNOT be overstated!

- “Special space” sense of enclosure, including walls and kid-size, kid- designed entry; security|

- Access to water (w/hard surface to keep feet dry), electricity (w/ground- fault interrupter circuit for safety)

- Firm walkways (for wet weather and for access by the disabled)

- Teaching area (classroom setting, partially walled from rest of garden), with shaded seating that stays dry

- Roomy potting bench, and tool and equipment storage (can double as seating)

- Signs, charts, maps, other teaching tools; outdoor erasable chalkboard

- Raised beds and varied, large containers

- Weather station (rainfall, temperature, wind, time (human sundial), etc.)

- Water garden (usually small, with easy access for experiments)

- Vertical structures (for vines, banners, art, more sense of enclosure)

- Smaller enclosed areas for special lessons (composting, plant starting, worm box, private student counseling, visitors’ viewing area)

- Varying elevations (may incorporate a tunnel, slide, bridge, etc.)

- Lots of color, texture, sound, and other sensory considerations

- Wildlife area (bird feeders, houses, butterfly plants (non-bee!), etc.)

- Art (multi-media, can be incorporated in all the other design features)

- Widely-varying plants to fit curriculum needs (beyond mere production). A FEW examples: Historic plants, fast-growing, fragrance, wildlife (bird and butterfly), taste (herbs and vegetables), geography (native, African, South American, Asian, etc.), shade, economic (cotton, pine)
Note: All plants MUST perform during the school year, or survive the
summer without supplemental care.

There are many other considerations, but these are commonly found in successful gardens.