I am once again starting seeds for our spring gardening experiment. I am now referring to it as an experiment, because we really are never sure what is going to happen in our garden. There are so many factors that can affect how well your garden grows! Weather, animals, soil conditions, and more are all big factors. This year, I want to turn our garden into a high school class.  If you want to learn about gardening with younger students, I have a different post for you.

Planning

One of the skills I most want my kids to learn is how to plan for what you want. Gardening is a perfect opportunity to work on those planning skills. First, you need to plan where you will be planting things. Will you garden in a pot on the widow ledge, on a deck or porch, or in the yard? Do you have a raised bed or will you work with the soil you have? There are a lot of decisions to make here.

Next, you need to decide if you will start with seeds or plants. I’m a big fan of doing a little of both. But it is important to plan how best to use your space. I really like the ideas in Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew for using a small space to the max. For a first garden, planning to just garden outside after your frost date has passed is very reasonable. Consider mixing some purchased plants, like a tomato plant and cucumber plant, with some seeds for radishes and carrots. You can grow a whole lot of radishes and carrots in a small space. Also, consider some marigolds or other plants that deter pests.

It is a great idea to have your student draw their garden out on graph paper and figure out what will go where. Remember that many plants that form vines can be trained up a trellis, so consider if you need one of those.

Now, before you go shopping, be sure that your family will enjoy eating what you plan to grow. Radishes are really fun and easy to grow, but if no one will eat them, they aren’t a great plan. That said, if you have a bunnies, guinea pigs, or other herbivores, you can plan to feed any garden mistakes to your pets!

Our process

Years ago, we decided to set my daughter up with strawberry patch. She just wanted to grow strawberries. So, we created a mixture of soil and sand. Purchased a whole bunch of baby plants, and let her get to work. She started them all in plastic cups on a shelf near the kitchen door where they could get a lot of light. Once the weather was warm enough, she transplanted them to a garden plot she had picked just for them. We had some extras, so we put them in a pot on our deck.

The neat thing about strawberries is that the plants have survived several winters now and are still producing fruit each spring. The one draw back is that it turns out my daughter was more excited to plant them than to eat them. Remember to plant things you want to eat!

The rest of my Garden

I now have the strawberry patch and a raised garden bed in my yard that is 2′ by 8′. That bed has grown many different plants over the years. Rotating your crops can help your soil stay healthy. However, it is usually best to add some compost every year to make sure your soil isn’t deficient in anything. For us, this plot in the yard works best with long growing plants that need harvested less frequently. That means garlic, onions, potatoes, and carrots are good choices for this bed. I know I tend to forget to check it daily and those plants are very forgiving about when you harvest them. If you are setting up a new bed, the techniques laid out in Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza is very helpful.

On my deck I will have plants that we need to harvest and eat often. I like herbs, tomatoes, and cucumbers on my deck. I want to experiment with broccoli and squash this year, too. Last year, I successfully grew a few tomatoes and cucumbers so I want to build on that success.

Turning this Into a High School Credit

The things that set this apart as a high school credit, and not just a project, is how much time your student spends learning about gardening and caring for their garden. Reading the books I listed (those are older and easy to get used or find at local libraries) or other books can be one avenue for learning about gardening. There are also tons of great videos on YouTube. Lately, I’ve been enjoying Anne of All Trades. Your local extension office may also have things to read specific to your area, and classes to take. Master Gardeners often offer their experience to those who want to learn. You should also check with local colleges, or the largest agricultural college in your state.  Whatever resources your student uses, be sure to document them.

Next, plan some field trips. Visit botanical gardens or a local farm. Visit a farmers market and encourage your student to ask questions of the farmers there. Historical farms are also fascinating and often grow heirloom varieties of plants that your local grocery store doesn’t carry. See if there are local nurseries that would give your student a tour. Visit your county fair and see the competitions for best pumpkin. They often have youth divisions, so consider competing! Document those trips and what you all learned.

Last, document your child’s experience with their garden. Note the planning and problem solving. There will be problem solving. How do we get rid of pests? What do you do if your plants don’t look healthy? While there are fast fixes like pesticides and fertilizers, looking for organic answers and options can yield healthier plants over time and work just as well. Even if everything they grow ultimately dies, they are learning a ton!