Introduction

The future school garden must be designed to meet school and community expectations. Just as the school was planned in advance of construction, this outdoor classroom should be carefully arranged to meet the needs of those who will use it. Create a planning team consisting of students, teachers, school administrators, groundskeepers, parent volunteers, and community representatives as a resource for suggesting ideas to be incorporated into the design.

Once the garden location has been determined the team should begin the design process with a layout of the area that will become more detailed as the planning process progresses.

The designated team chairperson will coordinate activities and record ideas. The team will research additional sources for garden ideas and visit other school gardens. Click here to link to School Garden References for several books on school gardens that can be reviewed for ideas. The team’s recommendations will provide the guideline for those responsible for completing the design. The balance of this chapter suggests areas for the planning team and the garden designers to consider during the planning process.