SchoolArts - October 2008

(Left to right) Sixth-grade student, Josue presents a garden design; Daniella prepares to plant a perennial in the garden while Elkin observes; Kayla and Kelsey help others install the concrete mosaic step-stones along the garden path; Fifth-grade students, Alex and E.J. prepare to plant a shrub in their schoolyard garden.

sized as one full or final design. This is a formal presentation plan, with text, labeling, title information, and color. Keep the original as a master copy and add color to a photocopy of it. These plans are usually about 24 x 36" ( 61 x 91 cm). The text, labeling, title information, and color help the plan to be more readily viewed from a distance. It can also be reduced, copied, and handed out to parents, community members, and local suppliers as a fundraising tool.

spaces must be relatively flat with a
suitable hard surface free of tripping
hazards. Ideally, all main paths will
be at least five feet (152 cm) wide. It is
very important
to have the soil
tested, espe-
cially in urban
areas, and the
cost is mini-
mal. Contact
the cooperative

extension of the land-grant college or university in your state for assistance.

Nurture and build community involvement by sending home notices encouraging others to help. Perhaps you can purchase materials and plants at cost from a local garden center or receive donations. One parent may be willing to take charge of fundraising. Perhaps another parent would develop a summer garden adoption program, where families could offer to tend the garden for a specific week in June, July, or August. You may even discover parents who work in green industries or who have a backhoe or other time-saving equipment.

In leading your students in
the design and construction
of school gardens, you are
providing them real-life
opportunities and lifelong skills.

Celebrate Your Space Once your garden is installed, celebrate the accomplishment. Invite students, parents, teachers, staff, administration, and the community to share what has been achieved. Students will learn that their thoughts and ideas matter, and that they can make a positive lasting difference in the world around them. In addition to learning art, design, math, and science, they are acquiring lifelong skills.

Building the Garden Once the design is finalized, the construction process can begin. Have students help you to measure out the actual space in the garden. You want any space your students develop to be universally designed, or in other words, accessible. The walking surface of main paths and the gathering

Kurt Van Dexter is a studio artist, designer, registered landscape architect, and certified K– 12 visual arts teacher. He is also a co-founder of the Children’s Garden Network, helping schools across Rhode Island establish student-centered school garden programs.