13 Teaching Gardens in Action

Small plantings can lead to big knowledge for schools and communities. See how these learning gardens are turning little ones into lifelong growers.

By: Kristi York Wooten

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Modular Solutions

This learning garden at Jaurez High School in Chicago, facilitated by The Kitchen Community, uses a clean, modular design which does double-duty as a functional educational space and an attractive landscaping flower box.

Little Hands at Work

Learning gardens are great places for children to experience how plants grow and thrive.

Free to Grow

Here, students water plants after creating a simple, circular bed in a field next to their school. Learning gardens don't need to be overly complex or too focused on aesthetic design in order to be fruitful.

Simple Works

Making something from nothing: Students and staff at Arabia Mountain High School in Atlanta designed a simple flower and vegetables in a field on the campus as part of a learning garden experience in partnership with the Nature Conservancy and the Captain Planet Foundation.

Growing in the Greenhouse

At Arabia Mountain High School, students care for a range of plants and learn to cut and propagate new growth.

From Container to Ground

Seedlings housed in the greenhouse are planted into freshly prepared garden beds by the students who helped grow them.

Spiral Herb Garden

The students at Arabia Mountain High School also assembled stones and potting soil into a circular design before planting seedlings into a spiral herb garden.

Stylish Space Saver

This dual-layer spiral herb garden has a small footprint, but houses six different types of plants.

Finishing Touches

The young daughter of a staff member at Arabia Mountain High School waters her creation after helping assemble the spiral herb garden.

Room to Grow and Play

The smooth curves of these modular, low-profile planters installed by the Kitchen Community at Hillcrest Elementary School in Los Angeles allow for plenty of space to garden and play.

Tall Treasures

Facilitated by The Kitchen Community, this sunflower learning garden at McMeen Elementary School in Denver began with children planting seeds. Today it yields plants that can reach as high as 12 feet.

Urban Rainbow

A vibrant mural provides a sunny backdrop for ornamental purple cabbages and gold marigolds in the planting space at the Burr Learning Garden in the Chicago Public Schools as facilitated by The Kitchen Community.

Construction and Instruction

In The Kitchen Community's modular learning gardens such as this one in Denver, Colorado, kids learn hands-on work, how to use garden tools, and fun plant facts from placards.

Shop This Look

Photo By: Photo courtesy of The Kitchen Community.

Photo By: Photo by Laurie Smith. Courtesy of The Kitchen Community.

Photo By: Photo by John Amis. Courtesy of Captain Planet Foundation.

Photo By: Photo by John Amis. Courtesy of the Captain Planet Foundation.