Why does “How to Grow a School Garden” use subheadings? C.It shows the reader that growing a school garden can be both easy and fun.

Follow these steps for a healthy harvest.

1. Make the case. Before designing a school garden, you’ll likely need approval from critical parties (namely school administrators and possibly funders).
2. Select a site.
3. Design the garden.
4. Decide what to plant.
5. Plan for each season in advance.
6. Prep the soil.
7. Learn from each season.

School garden staples include:

• Peas and beans.
• Potatoes are fun to sprout before planting into potato sacks or beds.
• Winter squash and pumpkins can be planted out at the end of spring and will be nearing maturity when the children return from their summer break.

Students enjoy the responsibility of watering, cleaning, repotting, and even propagating indoor plants. Classrooms will have the most success with plants that require low to medium light, such as spider plant, golden pothos, peace lily, Chinese evergreen, snake plant, heartleaf philodendron, and friendship plant.

Sweet alyssum, celosia, cornflower or bachelor button, marigold, cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, morning glories and nasturtiums. We planted some sunflower seeds outside but they didn’t sprout for two weeks – although we did have a couple of unexpected cold days during that time that may have delayed them.

Sweet alyssum, celosia, cornflower or bachelor button, marigold and cosmos sprout within five to seven days. Zinnias, sunflowers and morning glories bring even more color and quick growth, while fast-growing nasturtiums multitask as garden beauties that you can add to salads or as dinner-plate garnishes.

It’s official: beans, peas, and pumpkins are among the top ten easiest plants to grow from seed, according to a list created by the Home Garden Seed Association. Also on the list: cucumbers, zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, lettuce, radishes, and squash.

Sprinkle seeds over your new planting surface you have made and then water your planted area. The water will push the seeds into the soft soil just enough for them to grow. (Wildflower Seeds only want to be in the ground as deep as the seeds are long). Seeds will usually germinate in 1-2 weeks.

Easy Flowers to Grow in Pots

• Geraniums. Classic geraniums like these, ‘Dark Red’ and ‘White Watermelon’, look as natural on porches in summer as pumpkins do in fall.
• Petunias.
• Mandevillas.
• Hydrangeas.
• Chrysanthemums.
• Begonias and Coral Bells.
• Impatiens.
• Sedums and Coleus.

Here is a list of fall flowers that you can plant right now to keep your yard looking great.

• Asters. Asters produce pretty daisy-like flowers in a range of colors and, depending on the species, are frost tolerant.
• Cabbage and Kale.
• Calendula.
• Chrysanthemum.
• Cosmos.
• Daisies.
• Pansies.

Perennials For Shade That Bloom All Summer!

• Geranium – Perfect Flower for Shade Gardens!
• Astilbe – Shade Perennials That Are Repeat Bloomers.
• Spiderwort – Perennials Flowers for Shade or Sun.
• Hardy Fuchsias – Part Shade Perennials That Bloom All Summer.
• Campanula (Bellflower) – Blue & Purple Perennial Flowers for Shade.

Tender annuals, also called true annuals, have no tolerance for frost and must be planted in the spring when nighttime temperatures are above 55 degrees, when all danger of frost is past.

Frost Advisory – This is when the temperature is expected to fall to 36 degrees to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Light freeze – 29° to 32° Fahrenheit will kill tender plants. Moderate freeze – 25° to 28° Fahrenheit is widely destructive to most vegetation.

Generally speaking, spring-flowering bulbs should be planted in the fall (a few weeks before first frost), while summer-flowering bulbs should be planted in the spring (a few weeks after last frost).

The hardiest of flowers can be planted as soon as the soil in your garden can be worked, even if it’s several weeks before the last frost of the season. For half-hardy flowers, hold off until a couple weeks before the final frost, and for tender flowers, plant when there’s no chance of frost for the rest of the season.

The best time to start seeds is usually late March to late May. Only the southern zones are suitable for starting plants from seed in the earlier months. Give the plant enough time to germinate and grow to an appropriate transplant size.

The Best Time to Plant Your Garden For most of the United States, the best time to start spring crops is, well, now. But to get more exact planting recommendations based on your area, use this handy calendar. (As a general rule, you should plant hardy greens and cole crops a few weeks before your final frost.)

There are many benefits to growing your own vegetables, but saving money is not necessarily one of them. Some vegetables are simply cheaper to buy at the grocery store, and no amount of gardening savvy will result in a cost-saving benefit.

For a family of four, the Morning Chores calculator recommends a garden 40-feet-by-20-feet. “That would allow you to grow an adequate amount of vegetables to feed that family of four,” Lindley said.

Here is a list of popular vegetables and an estimate of how many plants to sow for a family of four:

• Beets – 20- to 30-foot-long row.
• Bell peppers – 10 to 15 plants.
• Broccoli – 12 to 15 plants.
• Carrots – 12- to 16-foot-long row.
• Corn – 40 to 50 plants.
• Cucumbers – 4 to 6 plants or 2 to 4 vines.
• Eggplant – 6 to 8 plants.

4,000 square feet

Growing your own food is a healthy way to save money, and enjoy fresh produce at home. When done correctly, even the smallest backyard plot can produce copious amounts of fruits and vegetables, and possibly even a significant saving to the grocery budget.

According to a book released this week, gardeners may wind up saving more money by purchasing commonly grown produce from the grocery store instead of planting them at home.