Book Review: How To Grow a School Garden

How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers
by Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle
(Timber Press, 224 pp., $24.95, June 2010)

Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle know a thing or two about school gardens and outdoor classrooms. The members of the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance boast a combined 20 years of experience in environmental education. How to Grow a School Garden is the result of their collaborative efforts, illustrating for parents and teachers how to plan, implement and nurture a schoolyard garden. The book’s 10 detailed chapters offer step-by-step instructions on the makings of a successful agricultural curriculum: from convincing your school’s principal that a garden is a great idea and raising the necessary funds, to gardening itself and planning outdoor lesson plans that tie into indoor classroom curricula. With detailed illustrations on garden design, sample grant letters, garden-fresh recipes and tips on organic-only agriculture, this guide makes launching a garden attainable for schools in any environment.

—Ariela Rose

For more information on the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance, head to sfgreenschools.org.