Question: I want to do a garden with my K-2 class and my principal is supportive of my desire. What do I need to do to have a successful garden experience with my class?
Answer: All garden projects should help you meet your curriculum goals. Look at your curriculum and decide which units would benefit from the hands-on experience of gardening. This may lead you to a specific garden theme or size, such as a butterfly garden or a container garden. Choose vegetables that mature during your school year or that will mature the following fall. You will need seeds or plants, soil, a sunny area, some tools, access to water, and mulch. Contact your district physical plant to see if you can get the ground tilled, or identify a parent who may be able to assist you in site preparation. Once you have the site ready, prepare the class inside with lessons that are oriented to what you will do in the garden. At this age, vocabulary and gardening procedures are very important parts of the project. On planting day, it is best if you can have extra adults on hand to help -- approximately one for every six children. After planting, assign children to water the garden on a rotating basis, and make a chart in the room that plots the plants and their growth. Have a harvest party.
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