3 essential tips for vibrant summer gardens

Let your garden grow!

Spring has sprung – and that means it’s time to start thinking about planting and maintaining your school garden! While the planning and planting stages are key to getting your garden off the ground, we wanted to share a few tips on maintenance, to get you thinking about how you can ensure your garden thrives even when the school year ends in June. Keep these tips in mind as you look to the end of the school year.

Go low-maintenance

One of the simplest ways to keep your garden growing without too much maintenance is to choose native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Native species are well adapted to your specific local climate and therefore do not require excessive watering to survive and thrive. Here is an extensive list of wildflowers native to Ontario, organized by flowering season. If you are concerned about allergies, pick plants that don’t spread pollen. Earth Caretaker also has a list of recommended native plant species for various soil types in Southern Ontario, from sandy to heavy clay.  If one of your goals is to reduce the need for water, xeriscaping is a good option: this approach to landscaping, originally used in dry areas of the United States, has water-saving at its core.

Cover your bases

If it’s your first time growing a school garden, it’s a great idea to develop a manageable maintenance plan. Here is a step-by-step guide that you can use to cover all your bases – from making a list of weekly tasks, to putting together a watering schedule, to engaging with the wider community to steward your garden. You’ll also want to think about what tools you might need for maintenance tasks like pruning and weeding – a visit to your local hardware store may be in order! Don’t worry – you shouldn’t need to spend a lot of money on new materials. Why not see if your city has a tool library (find them in cities including Hamilton, Toronto, and Ottawa)? If you do need to purchase new items, here is a list of 11 essentials from the Real Gardener. And don’t forget – you’ll need a watering source! Always consult  with your school’s caretaking staff before developing a watering plan so that volunteers have access to a hose on watering days.

Make it fun!

Once you have developed a maintenance plan that will work for your school community, brainstorm ways to make light work! You could kick-off the summer with a garden party during which you assign a task or two to each volunteer or delegate responsibility for each section of the garden if it’s on the larger side. Get creative and make a weekly schedule showing everyone’s duties – and encourage participants to share something fun, like their favourite vegetable and a recipe idea for when it’s ready to harvest. If you want to go a bit more high-tech, the Guardian has an online gardeners’ calendar, with a bevy of tips for each day, from staking your sunflowers in early June to giving any potted plants ample hydration during the hot, dry days of August. And, don’t forget to share contact information so that your garden maintenance crew can stay connected throughout the summer!

Resources: