Edible Playgrounds - has your school got one?

A growing number of schools are putting in edible gardens for children.  They teach our children so much - about nature and growth, about healthy food and about planning and the environment.  They give the children fresh air, exercise and the great joy of eating healthy food that they

have grown.  What more could a parent or teacher want?

I have had the great privilege in being involved in the planning and development of a permaculture garden at one of our local schools, so I thought I would share some of the things we have learned in setting up this garden in the hopes that some other parents may feel encouraged to approach their children's schools to set up the same.

Before putting in any garden you first need to consider where to put the garden beds.  Key elements are access to sunlight for a large part of the day, access to water and protection.  Your precious veges could need protection from birds and wildlife, so this one will be fenced off with wire fencing and a gate for easy access.  Our garden is next to the canteen in a very sunny area, next to the footpath to the playground and outside the classroom.  It will have larger items at the back against the canteen wall and a water tank is being put on the run off from the canteen roof.

When gardening for a school, certain elements need to be considered.  The garden must be somewhere visible and easily accessible for the children.  Ideally it should be near their lunch areas and kitchen, but most of all it needs to be somewhere that they can see from their classroom and on route to classes, and not tucked away at the back of the school somewhere.  At the same time it should be somewhere away from the sports areas and areas of heavy traffic, so that the plants are not getting balls thrown at them and precious seedlings are not stepped on.

In order for maximum success the plot should have good drainage and be away from the roots of large trees.  In our area the soil is very poor - thanks to over farming and plentiful pine trees, so the first step was to set up a compost heap and worm farm to enrich the soil.  There are so many good books and articles on composting and improving soil that I won't go into it here, but have a look in your local library or on the internet for ideas.  We found the community very supportive and keen to donate waste for the compost.  Our local landscape supplier was also keen to help out and donate some items.

Why not hold a working bee at your school and get the parents involved as well as the children, or even open it up to the local community and make it a fun day out.  If you have some gardening experts in your area, or a local permaculture group, contact them and ask them if they would run a workshop, then you can charge a small admission fee to cover some costs.

In order for the garden to be exciting and a joy for the children it will need to flourish and be successful, so planning its location and preparing the soil are very important.  So is your choice of plants.  To start with select plants that you know work in your area and have a high rate of success.  If you are not sure, go and ask at your local nursery.  We have already planted some seeds in seed raising mix in a greenhouse, so that by the time the compost is ready and the weather warmed up the seedlings will be ready to plant out.  This is a cheaper way to go than buying seedlings.

There are plenty of resources available to help you plant out your edible garden, some with specific planting plans for people who are not sure where to start.  I'll list some below.  So, why not give it a go and share some healthy, practical skills with your children - there is so much to be gained from an edible playground.