As we become an increasingly urbanized society, the number of green spaces becomes smaller and smaller. A systematic review of studies suggested that “small-scale greenery, including green walls and potted plants, may have beneficial effects on stress reduction.” Having a little greenery could lead to learning experiences and a calmer atmosphere at your school. Today, let’s go through some considerations of how you might implement green spaces at your school and maintain them:
Develop Your Short and Long-term Plans
A top priority will be to figure out how you imagine your plants and greenery over the next few years and decades. If you only consider a few pots or small gardens to grow plants, that won’t take as much long-term planning. However, if you’re looking to introduce bushes, trees, or other projects that will grow and require more maintenance over time, you’ll need to consider the plans for your school spaces. Keep in mind the following:
What is the purpose of growing these plants?
What will be the cost in terms of time and financial resources?
How will it reflect on your school?
How will the space be maintained?
Could facility expansion interfere with the plans?
Having a few small plants in pots can be low effort and make your scenery a bit nicer, but it won’t have too much of an impact on the perception of your school. A large-scale effort to plant numerous trees or unique plants will significantly impact the visual appeal of your school, but it will take much more effort to take care of the trees and surrounding areas. Once you have an idea of what your outdoor spaces will look like, it’ll let you know what to account for with your planting initiatives. You’ll need to make sure you have the staffing and resources required to see through with your plan to the end.
Invest in High-Quality Materials and Equipment
With the amount of work you’ll want to put into your planting project, you’ll want to invest in items that will provide for a long time. You obviously need seeds/plants and soil, but there are other things to make your planting more successful. Paying attention to what you need for successful plant growth will help your students understand the effort to put into agriculture. Make sure you’re investing in these materials as well:
Watering equipment
Plant growth aids such as fertilizer
Tarps or woodchips
Shovels and cultivators
Gloves, kneepads, and other aids
Materials to make a raised garden bed, if needed
You’ll also need to consider what kinds of more complex equipment you might need. It might be worth looking into small vehicles to help transport and move dirt and materials, especially if you have multiple projects to consider in the future or will use them for other events and projects in your district. If you have staff or volunteers willing to help with your project, it could save you a lot of resources to have your own vehicle to use rather than relying on a landscaping company for any planting projects you need to do.
Create a School Garden
For decades, Wisconsin has been in the top ten states producing agriculture. Having a way to learn more about agriculture, at least on a tiny scale, provides a great learning opportunity and engages students to learn about the world around them. That’s why, if your space allows, or if you have a nearby organization willing to loan some land to you, having a school garden can help students learn practically about crops and gardening.
If you have the space, you’ll want to decide what you need to succeed. You’ll want to have good soil, plenty of sunlight, guards to protect it from wildlife, etc., but you’ll also want to consider the purpose of your garden. How much will students be as part of the ownership and responsibility of these plants? Will they choose their plants, or will you help decide that for them? Will this be a garden for eating crops later or for growing beautiful flowers? Will you do your best to have your students succeed, or let them work independently and potentially fail? Whether you want to make this a lesson solely on the plant lifestyle or the caretaking of plants will be up to you, as well as what kinds of investments you want to contribute.
A few years ago, DPI compiled various reports on schools creating school gardens and the results of that. If you’re looking for ideas on creating your garden, check out that report for more information and ideas. If you’re looking for plants, consider a local nursery to order your plants and seeds.
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Having your students learn about agriculture and gardening can be a great hands-on learning experience. While adding curb appeal to your campus, it can also change perceptions of your property and the learning opportunities for your students. As you prepare for your next growing season, look for ways to implement more plants onto your property to create a slightly greener world for everyone.