~Fun Fact~
Cucumbers have the highest water content of any vegetable.
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Community Gardens
Youth gardens grow so much more than plants: They grow children who are enthusiastic about eating fruits and vegetables, who are respectful of their environment, who are actively involved in making positive contributions to their community and hopeful about their future.
On the surface, it might seem a bit overwhelming to launch an edible garden for youth. But the Burpee Home Gardens 'I Can Grow' Guide makes it easy to cultivate a successful youth garden program. The 55-page guide opens with seven recommended steps for starting an edible garden for youth:
- Building the case
- Gathering support
- Planning the program
- Designing the garden
- Searching for resources
- Planting and maintaining the garden
- Sustaining the garden program
In the first three steps, the guide provides answers to key front-end questions like:
- Why do we need an edible garden?
- Who will we involve in our garden program?
- What will our garden accomplish?
Once those questions are answered, the final four steps provide extensive information, tips and tricks to ensure a youth edible garden not only survives, but thrives. Just a few of the topics covered include:
- Choosing a site
- Selecting plants, including annuals, biennials and perennials
- Preparing the soil
- Tools to collect
- Planting seeds directly in the garden
- Watering, fertilizing and mulching
- Weed control
- Building a strong garden committee
- Hosting an annual planning event
The 'I Can Grow' Guide also provides a host of lesson ideas for school gardens in many subject areas, including science; math; history and social studies; language arts; health and nutrition; and art, music and drama. Activity ideas for community gardens also are provided, including starting a youth garden business, offering cooking classes, or beginning a neighborhood beautification project.
The guide concludes with a list of frequently asked questions, covering issues as varied as vandalism, safety and ongoing funding, along with a substantial list of additional resources. That includes gardening Web sites, youth garden books and youth garden curricula and activity guides.
To register to receive the Burpee Home Gardens 'I Can Grow' Guide, click here.
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