Free online training planned March 31
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A pair of publications now available from Kansas State University are designed to help the growing number of Kansas teachers and students who are planting gardens at their schools.
Rebecca McMahon, a horticulture agent in K-State Research and Extension’s Sedgwick County office, said the publications were created based on an increasing number of requests for help.
“Most of the teachers and volunteers didn’t know what and when to plant to have a successful garden,” McMahon said. “There has also been increasing interest in school gardens as an outdoor, hands-on learning activity due to the pandemic.”
The publications — available online from the K-State Research bookstore – are:
• Considerations and Resources for School Garden Design in Kansas
• Garden Templates and Plant Choices for Kansas School Gardens
“A school garden is about learning and new experiences, not about maximizing your harvest,” McMahon said. “Things that we might normally consider a failure or a problem in a regular garden are just another chance to learn something new when it happens in a school garden. But if we never get the garden planted, we can’t learn from the challenges. I hope these publications will make it easier for teachers, parents and schools to jump in and get their school gardens growing.”
McMahon will offer free, online training on March 31 for teachers, staff, volunteers or any others who “currently work or hope to work with a school or youth garden,” she said. Interested participants are required to register online.
“The publications are designed primarily to help schools that are in the process of developing a garden or have a garden established be able to use their garden more effectively by providing guidance on what to plant during different parts of the school year so there is always a learning opportunity ready for students,” McMahon said. “The publications also help direct schools to sources for lesson plans and curriculum or other gardening resources.”
She added that she hopes school employees and students will be inspired by new ideas contained in the publications.
“It is so common for schools to focus on the spring season in the garden, but there are so many ways they could be taking advantage of the fall growing season to plant, grow, and harvest amazing learning opportunities for their students,” she said. “The publications are filled with garden templates for each season to make it easy for a school to find a garden plan that fits their needs and can be adapted to fit their school culture and desired learning outcomes.
“A school garden doesn’t need to be all about vegetables or all about pollinators. It can include herbs, flowers, grains, vegetables, and fruit – even in relatively small spaces.”
More information on gardening also is available at local extension offices in Kansas.
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FOR PRINT PUBLICATIONS: Links used in this story
Considerations and Resources for School Garden Design in Kansas, https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3589.pdf
Garden Templates and Plant Choices for Kansas School Gardens, https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3590.pdf
Online registration, http://tinyurl.com/2022schoolgardens
K-State Research and Extension statewide offices, https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations.html
K State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Story by:
Pat Melgares
785-532-1160
[email protected]
For more information:
Rebecca McMahon
316-722-7721
[email protected]
