Green Harvest - Books - School Gardens

School Gardens and Community Gardens

Awareness is slowly growing in Australia of the need to look at food sustainability at a local level. Permaculturalists have long advocated a bioregional approach to food production because of the reduced cost to the environment of reducing transport distances with lower fossil fuel consumption and reduced waste of food by a shorter distribution system. The shorter the distance food travels from farm to plate, the fresher it is, the higher the nutrient value and the better for the planet. Increase both food production and awareness by becoming involved in a school garden, shopping at a local farmers' markets or joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group.

Download a free chart Seed Sowing with Kids as a resource for school gardens.

AWW Kids in the Garden - Gardening, craft and cooking
Mary Moody 2011 (AUS)
This delightful book introduces children to the pleasures of gardening and associated craft/art and harvest/cooking activities. There are great step by step full colour pictures, beautiful illustrations and descriptions on what to plant and when, how to prepare the soil and the right tools to use. Magic gardens, herb gardens, wonderful worms, scarecrows and daisy chains are just a few of the projects which are always of interest. Fun in the kitchen? - Kids can cook up a treat with their harvest with simple recipes to follow which have been Triple Tested for success in the Australian Women's Weekly Test Kitchen. 184pp

BA122

A Child's Garden - 60 ideas to make any garden come alive for children
Molly Dannenmaier 2008 (USA)
Children thrive in a natural environment: here is a resource to help you enhance their enjoyment of the outdoors. Drawing inspiration from schools, community projects, parks and gardens in the US and UK, this book presents wonderful, creative ideas - accompanied by beautiful colour photographs - for you to apply to your own back yard. Create spaces for kids to play and explore - weave branches into caves, plant climbing vines, flower gardens, make mazes. There are sections on water, dirt, refuges and much more. Resources listed are from US and UK. 180pp

BC134

Eat Your Garden: Organic Gardening for Home and Schools
Leonie Shanahan 2010 (AUS)
An inspirational book with simple instructions of how to achieve a healthy organic garden. Includes worms farms, herb spirals, tanks gardens, no-dig gardens, soil building and so much more. A feast of edible garden ideas for children or adults to get you started successfully. 138pp

BE126

Grow It: Eat It - Simple Gardening Projects and Delicious Recipes
DK Press Royal Horticultural Society 2008 (UK)
From seed to saucepan this DK book shows, through fantastic step-by-step colour photos, how to grow vegetables (tomato, eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin, beans, spuds, carrots, onion, leeks, lettuce and more) and then use the harvest in delicious easy step-by-step colour recipes. 80pp hardcover, full colour.

BG129

How to Grow a School Garden - A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers
Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle 2011 (USA)
In 'How to Grow a School Garden', the authors provide a blueprint for funding, building, planting and maintaining a school garden. There are strategies, detailed lesson plans, fund-raising ideas and equipment lists - even how to persuade an uncooperative principal!
Examples from dozens of school gardens throughout the U.S. provide inspiring ideas for creating garden beds, organising classes in the garden, kid-friendly recipes for the harvest, planning the garden year and lots more.
While the resources listed are from the US and UK, the ideas and information are applicable everywhere.
An example is a list of the benefits of school gardens:

They enhance academic achievement
They promote healthy lifestyles
They instil an environmental stewardship ethic
They encourage community and social development
They instil a sense of place

This book is an excellent resource for anyone involved with school gardens. 224pp; colour photographs throughout.

BH121

Kids In The Garden: Growing Plants For Food And Fun
Elizabeth McCorquodale 2010 (UK)
A wealth of information about plants and gardening interspersed with jokes, quizzes and fascinating gardening facts. Here you'll find the carbon cycle explained, how photosynthesis works, different methods of seed dispersal, saving seeds, worm farming, good bugs, growing from seeds and cuttings and much more. The two-page, (big, full colour photos and comic style drawings) offer thorough profiles of veges, flowers, fruit and herbs include planting instructions, growing tips and interesting facts about the plants in question. Then there are mouth-watering recipes for all your delicious garden bounty, including Zucchini Fudge Cake, Chilli Bean Wraps and Raspberry Fizz. Yum!
A great handbook for young gardeners. Some references are to northern hemisphere plants and seasons, but the quality of ideas and info will make it super easy for any non gardening adult to execute lesson plans and inspire the kids. Illustrated with colourful photos, cartoons and drawings. 96pp

BK108

Kids In The Wild Garden
Elizabeth McCorquodale 2011 (UK)
Embark on an adventure with your children by stepping into and exploring the amazing life that lies hidden within your own garden. Designed to get kids away from the TV and to get their hands dirty, 'Kids in the Wild Garden' encourages children to learn about caring for and understanding the fascinating natural world that surrounds them. Projects include: growing a tank-full of tadpoles; planting a butterfly garden and a mini-meadow; and designing cosy houses for winter visitors. Through sight, touch, smell and sound, children can interact with nature through activities aimed to educate and excite. Jam-packed with outdoor projects, gardening tips, fascinating facts, jokes, recipes and fun expeditions, this book aims to get children out into the fresh air by encouraging exploration, care for the environment and imaginative play. Grab your trusty magnifying glass and find out interesting facts about all the creepy crawlies in your garden; for example, did you know that some ants milk caterpillars?
This book also provides age suitable introductions to biology, botany and ecology alongside all the facts you will need to care for the plants and animals in your very own garden. Instructions are easy to follow, step-by-step and are accompanied with child-friendly illustrations, bright and informative photographs, a key with fun symbols and full details on the equipment needed. The book's playful format and variety of experiments, projects and games, make this a perfect resource for adults and children of all ages. This is a UK publication and many of the plants, insects and animals referred to are of the northern hemisphere; however, we have included it here as it would be a great template for projects and ideas in the Australian back yard. 96pp

BK107

The Little Gardeners Guide - Gardening know-how and fun activities for young greenthumbs!
Alicat Trading 2010 (AUS)
This book is crammed fuller than a worm farm with all the gardening basics - what plants are, what they eat, how they grow and what creatures you may encounter in the garden. There are instructions and hints for growing and caring for your own plants and, of course, eating the delicious harvest! Interesting garden projects include making a worm farm, creating plant labels and painting pots. Includes a tool list, safety tips - including 'sun smart' suggestions and lots of brightly-coloured illustrations and photos. The spiral binding makes it easy to refer to during use and the cover is wipe-clean. Great for the budding gardener - would suit ages 3+. 60pp

BL105

Seed to Seed - Food Gardens in Schools
Jude Fanton and Jo Immig 2007 (AUS)
Seed to Seed is an invaluable resource for any teachers or parents, particularly of primary school students, who are thinking of starting a school garden. Written by Jude Fanton co-founder of the Seed Savers Network and Jo Immig co-ordinator of National Toxic Network, Seed to Seed covers planning, earth preparation, planting through to maintaining, harvesting and eating, and of course seed saving. The premise is to create a magical experience for children whilst providing a living education about food production. The authors concentrate on gardens that are low input and organic, respect the entire life cycle of the plant, have sustainable water use practices and maintain biodiversity. Lesson and activity ideas are presented throughout each chapter. 80pp

BS122

Outdoor Classrooms: An Australian Handbook for School Gardens
Carolyn Nuttall and Janet Millington 2008 (AUS)
At last a book which lays out practical strategies to transform primary schools and teaching methods so that children will regain the connection to the natural world. Abundant and creative ideas fill this book, written by Australian primary school teachers and permaculture practitioners. It provides a range of opportunities for the development and use of the outdoors for teaching purposes. It offers a comprehensive plan for developing school gardens while guiding the teacher through a process from the formation of the idea to linking the learning to the curriculum. Provided are ideas for the outdoor classroom covering areas such as soil, water, plants, animals, weather, structures and waste recycling and tools. Sample unit plans with the goal of taking the entire curriculum into the outdoors are given in great detail. Use it to transform a school or to simply establish edible gardens. This book is essential for any school wanting to establish school gardens but does not contain a large body of information about plants. 168pp

BO112

Sow and Grow - A Gardening Book for Children
Tina Davis (USA)
Sow and Grow is a book of indoor gardening projects and plant-related craft activities; it also acquaints children with the basics of plant biology, teaching them the meanings of words like 'fruit' and 'flower' and explaining the roles of light, air, and water in plants' development. Photosynthesis, osmosis and the structure of leaves, flowers, roots and seeds are explained in language that is kid-friendly but not childish.
While the month-by-month calendar of garden projects is based around seasons in the northern hemisphere and some plants mentioned may not be familiar to gardeners in Australia, the information and inspirational ideas are universally applicable.
Activities include growing plants from seeds, striking leaf cuttings, repotting a plant, making potpourri and creating a terrarium. Illustrated with charming vintage drawings from children’s books of the past, it has a wipe-clean surface and its lay-flat spiral binding makes it easy to refer to during use. 144pp

BS131

Young Gardener: Get Your Hands Dirty
Janice Marriott 2011 (NZ)
Fun and learning in the garden! This colourful, easy-to-read volume in the Yates 'Young Gardener' series is packed full of information, ideas and projects for the budding gardener. Enjoy the challenge of a plant quiz or test your plant maths and science knowledge. There are heaps of activities, experiments, recipes and more. Try your hand at making seed tape from toilet paper, whip up a batch of elderflower cordial, make a fungal garden and mushroom spore prints, design a garden or make a worm farm. Some references are to New Zealand plants and wildlife but the ideas and information are internationally applicable! Would suit primary school-aged kids and adults creating lesson plans or looking to use nature as an educational guide. New and complementary information to the Young Gardener: Growing things to Eat by the same author. 64pp

BY103

Young Gardener - Growing things to eat: the fun way to grow your own food
Janice Marriott 2nd edition 2009 (NZ)
Here is a colourful, fun way for children to learn about gardening. Through projects, puzzles, jokes and experiments, this book teaches about soil, compost, sunlight, water, seeds and weeds. Whether it's planting a sunflower, sprouts in a jar, or a pumpkin with their name on it, they'll be growing their own food while learning about the inter-relationship of human beings and nature. 64pp

BY102

School Garden Tools and Equipment Resources List

This list is compiled from many sources and experienced gardeners. Its purpose is to help those new to gardening and/or establishing a school garden to consider the full range of potential needs. In planning the garden or preparing a budget, keeping the bigger picture in mind will yield a better result.

Download a School Garden Tools and Equipment Resources List.