School Garden Summer Maintenance Tips
“What do we do with our school gardens over the summer?”
This is a common question and is a perennial problem as gardens are often flourishing over the summer months when school isn’t in session. To help support keeping your school garden thriving throughout the summer and into the new school year, we have developed a School Garden Summer Maintenance Guide. From partnership ideas to program models to garden planning, this guide will support you in planning a successful school garden transition from the summer holidays to the start of a new school year.
School Garden Purposes and Crop Care & Crop Planning Guide
There are many different uses for the crops and plants grown in the garden, which have implications for summer maintenance. Visit our School Garden Purposes and Crop Care resource for fall garden purposes, sample crops, timelines of planting, labour and maintenance requirements, and food preparation ideas.
Access the purposes & crop care resource here
Program Model: Partnering with Community Group
Summer Watering Program – Vancouver
Looking for some more inspiration? Check out a school summer garden program in action! Since 2018, the Summer Watering Program in Vancouver employs youth to take care of school gardens over the summer months. This program is a collaboration between Fresh Roots, Grandview Woodland Food Connection, and Farm to School BC. Learn more about this summer maintenance program model here.
Additional School Garden Resources
Crop Planning Guide for School Gardens
Looking for a guide to help you plan your school garden? Farm to School BC has developed a crop planning guide for school gardens that shifts traditional planting times to align with the school year, focusing on a spring and fall harvest while minimizing work in July and August. This helpful guide, developed in partnership with West Coast Seeds, provides region-specific garden planting timelines for coastal, south-central, and northern British Columbia.
Growing Outside: School Gardens