61: How to Design a School Garden

Designing a school garden isn’t just about putting plants in the ground—it’s about creating a sustainable, low-maintenance space that engages students, thrives with minimal summer care, and becomes a true part of the school community.

In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, I share my process for designing school gardens that actually work for teachers and students. Drawing from more than a decade of experience and my background as a Permaculture designer, I walk you through the key steps that transform a typical “hard-to-manage” garden into one that’s easy, productive, and magical.

You’ll learn:

• The first step to garden design: choosing the right placement (sunlight, water access, visibility, and accessibility).
• Why fences and locks can backfire—and what works better for community involvement.
• How to create a planting plan that avoids common pitfalls, builds biodiversity, and supports healthy plant growth.
• The importance of guild planting (companions like tomatoes + basil + marigold) for resilience and success.
• Smart strategies to design for water conservation, including Hugelkultur, olla pots, mulching, and self-watering planters.
• Why biodiversity—not just tomatoes!—is the backbone of a thriving school garden.

If you want your school garden to be more than a patch of plants—if you want it to be a living, learning, and lasting space—this episode will give you the foundation to design with ease.

👉 Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• School Gardens with Almost No Summer Maintenance Class
  – learn the full system for creating thriving, low-maintenance school gardens.
• Recommended Seeds for School Gardens Guide
  
  
• How to Set Up Your Garden Hose for Volunteers