Is Growing a School Garden Really That Easy? Let’s Talk Honestly

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ve probably heard me say it over and over:

“Growing a school garden is easy.”

But if you’ve tried growing one yourself, or watched other teachers or parents try, you may have seen gardens become overgrown, abandoned, or quietly dismantled after just a season or two. And that might leave you wondering:

"If so many school gardens fail, how can it possibly be easy?"

The answer is: it depends entirely on how and why you do it.

Why “Easy” Doesn’t Mean “Effortless”

When I talk about “easy” school gardens, I’m not suggesting you can scatter a few seeds, walk away, and magically get a thriving learning space.

The truth is, most school gardens fail because they’re not designed for what they should be designed for, education.

Too often, gardens are started for reasons like:

• Beautifying the school grounds

• Providing a fun activity for students

• Helping pollinators

• Producing food for the community

These are all wonderful outcomes, but if they are the primary goal, they make the garden harder to sustain in the long term.

Why? Because without a direct link to the classroom curriculum, the garden is seen as “extra”—one more thing to do on top of everything else. And “extra” usually gets dropped when time, funding, or energy run low.

The Non-Negotiable: Education First

An educational garden—one that exists to serve the curriculum—is a different story.

When the main purpose is teaching, the garden becomes part of the normal school day. It’s not a side project, it’s a living classroom.

This clarity of purpose instantly answers big questions like:

• Who runs it? The students, guided by their teacher.

• When does the work happen? During class time, as part of the lesson.

• Who maintains it? The same students learning in it.

• How is it funded and supported? Through the school’s learning resources, with parent and admin support in a supporting role, not a leading one.

Teachers Lead, Students Build, Parents Support

This is where I have to say something that sometimes surprises people—especially parents:
Parents should not be running the school garden.

I say this with love (I started as a parent volunteer myself!). But a garden designed to support the curriculum has to be led by the teacher—just like math, reading, or science lessons.

That doesn’t mean parents can’t play a vital role. They can:

• Volunteer during planting days

• Help source materials

• Offer expertise when requested

• Cheer on the students’ progress

But parents leading the work—rather than supporting—creates a disconnect between the garden and the learning, making it harder to sustain.

Why Working With Nature Makes It Easier

Even with the right purpose and leadership, a school garden still needs a smart strategy. And the biggest part of that strategy is working with nature, not against her.

Examples:

• Planting too early: Putting tomatoes outside before the last frost means starting over from scratch.

• Leaving soil bare: Nature will cover it for you—with weeds.

• Using flimsy seed-starting materials: Seedlings in paper or cardboard dry out quickly, leading to over- or under-watering mistakes.

When we design tasks that align with nature’s processes—like using sub-irrigation to water seedlings—the garden becomes easier to manage and much more successful.

Planning and Follow-Through Are the Hardest Parts

People often assume the hard part of gardening is the physical work. But in a student-led garden, that work is spread across many small hands and minds, making it lighter and more enjoyable.

The real challenge lies in:

• Choosing the right timing

• Selecting the right methods

• Following through consistently

If a teacher has a clear plan that works with nature, the day-to-day becomes manageable—and even joyful.

Patience: The Secret Ingredient

Gardens don’t grow on our human schedules. They grow on nature’s.

That means feedback loops in gardening are slow. If something goes wrong this season, you may not see the results of your adjustments until next year. It can take multiple seasons to feel confident and efficient.

That’s where patience comes in—not just patience with the plants, but with yourself as a teacher and with your students as they learn.

And here’s the beautiful thing: as you refine your approach over the years, your garden will get easier and more impactful. You’ll see students light up with curiosity, take pride in their work, and build a connection with food and nature that will stay with them for life.

The Bottom Line

Growing a school garden can be easy. But it isn’t magic. It requires:

1. The right purpose—education at the core.

2. The right leadership—teacher-led, student-driven, parent-supported.

3. The right strategy—working with nature, not against her.

4. The right mindset—patience, reflection, and continuous learning.

Get those right, and you’ll be surprised at how simple, sustainable, and rewarding a school garden can be—not just for you, but for every student who steps into it.

Ready to start your own easy, educational school garden?
Join my free webinar School Gardens with Almost No Summer Maintenance or explore my Oasis programs to learn exactly how to set up a garden that thrives from year one.