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Why Plan Your Spring School Garden in Fall and Winter And How

Sep 29, 2025

When most people think about school gardens, their minds jump straight to spring. The sun is shining, the soil is soft, and the excitement of planting is in the air. It feels like the natural time to start.

But here’s the truth: if you wait until spring to begin planning, you’re already behind.

School gardens thrive when the groundwork, both literal and figurative, is done months in advance. Fall and winter aren’t just the “off-seasons.” They’re actually the most strategic time to design, budget, and prepare for a magical garden experience once the snow melts.

In this article, I’ll share why fall and winter are the key planning seasons for your garden, the mistakes to avoid, and the steps you can take right now to ensure your garden becomes a vibrant, lasting part of your teaching.

Why Waiting Until Spring Doesn’t Work

It’s tempting to wait until March to start thinking about a school garden. After all, that’s when garden centers are bursting with plants and supplies, and the excitement of warmer weather is contagious.

But here’s what usually happens when planning starts in spring:

Budgets are already allocated. By the time you ask for funds, school resources are spoken for.
There’s no time for approvals. Whether you need the green light from your principal, parent council, or district, those conversations take time.
Decisions get rushed. Without careful thought, teachers end up buying whatever soil, seeds, or tools are on hand, often the wrong ones.
Curriculum connections are overlooked. The garden becomes “extra” instead of integrated into classroom learning.

The result? A project that feels overwhelming, underfunded, and unsustainable. Too many school gardens fail before they even have a chance to grow because of this “last-minute” approach.

Fall and Winter: The Seasons of Preparation

So, what should you do instead? Use fall and winter as your planning window. These seasons give you the breathing room to think, design, and organize without the pressure of spring’s busy pace.

Here’s why these months are so valuable:

Budgeting happens now. The start of the school year is when funds are distributed. If your garden isn’t on the radar, it probably won’t make the cut later.
Approvals take time. Whether you need official permission or just want support from colleagues and parents, this is the time to gather it.
Designing for success matters. A well-planned garden is easy to maintain, even in summer. Fall and winter are perfect for sketching layouts, researching ideas, and making decisions with care.
Curriculum connections are clearer. With your teaching goals fresh in your mind at the start of the year, it’s easier to map out how the garden will support your lessons.

Key Questions to Ask Before Spring

To avoid common pitfalls, take the time now to answer these essential questions:

Who will grow and maintain the garden?
Hint: your students should be powering the garden, with you as a guide. Parents and volunteers can cheer from the sidelines (help with funding for example), but the garden should be student-grown.
What will you grow, and what won’t you grow?
Not every plant is classroom-friendly. Choose crops that align with your teaching goals, are easy to manage, and will thrive in your region.
Where will the garden be built?
Location matters for sunlight, accessibility, and long-term maintenance.
When will planting and harvesting happen?
Consider your school calendar. Think through how the growing season lines up with the academic year. Ideally you should leave nothing for summer harvest. Plants should either be harvested before summer or in fall so students get to do it and summer maintenance is lower.
How will the garden connect to the curriculum?
The most powerful gardens are learning spaces first. Tie them to science, math, language arts, and even social studies, so that you can easily use class time to do the work.
What is the long-term plan?
A garden shouldn’t be a one-off project. How will it continue from year to year, even if staffing changes?

The Role of Budgeting in Garden Success

Money is often the stumbling block, but not because gardens are expensive. In fact, with the right approach, you can build a thriving garden on a very small budget. The key is knowing exactly what you need and when you need it.

Without a plan, teachers often overspend on tools, seeds, or gimmicks that don’t add real value. With a plan, you can stretch your resources, prioritize essentials, and even get creative with funding sources like small grants, donations, or parent council contributions.

Why You Need a “Pitch” Even If You’re Not Pitching

One of the most useful exercises in planning a garden is preparing a pitch—even if you don’t technically need one.

Why? Because the act of pulling your ideas together into a clear proposal forces you to think through every detail:

Who’s involved
What will be grown
Where the garden will live
How it will connect to learning
How much it will cost

Even if no one else ever sees it, this process gives you clarity and confidence.

To make it easier, I created a free guide called How to Pitch Your School Garden Project. It walks you step-by-step through all the questions, ideas, and budget considerations you need to cover. Teachers who’ve used it say it gave them a roadmap they didn’t even know they needed.

👉 Download the free guide here.

A Garden Worth the Effort

School gardens don’t have to be overwhelming. With the right planning, they become joyful, manageable spaces that enrich your teaching and give students an unforgettable, hands-on experience with food and nature.

But the key is this: the time to plan is now, not later.

So as you settle into fall routines or look ahead to winter, carve out some time to dream, design, and prepare. Your spring garden—and your students—will thank you.

Ready to get started?
🎧 Listen to the full episode of School Gardens with Ease here:

📘 Grab your free guide: How to Pitch Your School Garden Project

🌱 Explore the Oasis Fall & Winter Program (doors close end of October!)