Benefits of School Gardens

School Garden!

The Value of School Gardens

School gardens are a wonderful way to use the schoolyard as a classroom, reconnect students with the natural world and the true source of their food, and teach them valuable gardening and agriculture concepts and skills that integrate with several subjects, such as math, science, art, health and physical education, and social studies, as well as several educational goals, including personal and social responsibility.

The Benefits of School Gardens

Experience and research have shown numerous benefits of school gardens and natural landscaping:

students learn focus and patience, cooperation, teamwork and social skills.
they gain self-confidence and a sense of “capableness” along with new skills and knowledge in food growing — soon-to-be-vital for the 21st century.
garden-based teaching addresses different learning styles and intelligences; our non-readers can blossom in the garden!
achievement scores improve because learning is more relevant and hands-on.
students become more fit and healthy as they spend more time active in the outdoors and start choosing healthy foods over junk food.
the schoolyard is diversified and beautified.
graffiti and vandalism decrease because students respect what they feel some ownership in.

The school garden at Scoil Bhride was built in 2009. Our caretaker, Bill Lawless built the frame for us and we started planting our first vegetables that Spring! Each year Mr. Monaghan with the help of our caretakers Bill Lawless and Thomas McEvoy….. plants fruit and vegetables in the plot that is near the back of the school yard. Each year, we rotate what vegetables we grow in each section and try out something new. We have even planted a new section of fruit trees/shrubs along the boundary fence beside the school gardens raised bed.

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Some of the fruit and vegetables that we grew last year were carrots, cabbage, potatoes, parsnips, onions, lettuce, sweetpeas, cauliflower, scallions, and radish.