Does Your School Garden Need a Big Budget?

When it comes to creating school gardens, one common belief often surfaces: "A school garden is just too expensive!" But let’s break down this perception and understand why it persists and more importantly, why it doesn’t have to be true.

Why We Think School Gardens Are Expensive

The idea that school gardens are costly usually comes from a mix of emotions, societal perceptions, and some high-cost examples that tend to stand out.

1. It’s a Common Assumption

When people hear that school gardens might be expensive, it’s easy for the idea to snowball. Someone mentions, “Aren’t school gardens expensive?” and soon everyone nods in agreement. And before long, without even digging into the details, an entire group can be convinced that a school garden is out of reach financially.

This of course couldn't be further from the truth in absolute terms. Logic tells us that the cost all depends on many factors. But since it's easier to just assume something than digging into the numbers many don't even bother and quickly perpetuate the myth.

2. Expensive Examples Shape Perception

Many high-cost examples of school gardens do exist—these are often highlighted in school projects with extensive funding or hefty equipment like grow lights, hydroponic systems, or even grow towers. While these setups can be amazing, they aren’t necessary to create a productive, educational garden. For most schools, simpler approaches work beautifully.

3. The Value and Success Factor

When most school gardens don't success people begin to doubt its value all together. If a garden project fails after one year, or if it’s built outside of the school day and doesn’t involve the students directly, the garden may become neglected. Without connecting the garden to the curriculum or building it in a student-centered way, the project is likely to lose support and suddenly, any amount spent feels “too expensive.”

It's unfortunate that most follow the common wrong advice to build school gardens and their garden therefore joins all those other abandoned school gardens quickly, only adding to the idea that school gardens are not worth no amount of money.

How to Create a School Garden on a Budget

So, how do we make school gardens affordable and accessible? It’s all about focusing on what’s essential for learning, rather than adding features that look nice but don’t add to the educational experience.

Start Small and Grow from There

You don’t need to start with a full-fledged outdoor setup! Begin with a classroom garden, which can often be set up using inexpensive materials. Classroom gardens can be producing, wowing, impowering and also very educational. You can produce lots of food to harvest and lots of food seedlings to donate or sell at the end of the school year in front of a small but sunny classroom window. No need for an outdoor garden even! No need for expensive equipment either.

Once your garden is established, you can build on it over time if you wish. An outdoor garden can also be built on a budget.

Focus on Student-Led Efforts

A successful school garden doesn’t require hiring extra help or using expensive equipment. By empowering students to be the primary caretakers, and teachers to lead, during the class time, you reduce the need for extra labor while providing hands-on learning for students and connecting it to your curriculum of math, science, language, social studies, arts and more.

Skip Costly Add-Ons

It might be tempting to install raised beds, automated watering systems, outdoor kitchens, and other extras. But in most cases, these aren’t essential, especially at the start. For instance:

• Raised beds can be pricey, and even if you don't want to dig into the soil underneath the school land due to suspicions of toxicity (and I don't blame you!) there are Permaculture techniques such as Hugelkultur that can help you build raised gardens without the expense of raised beds.
• Expensive watering systems aren’t usually needed. Do you have to make sure you have a good quality light weight hose that's easily accessible? Yes you do! But that's all you need.

Avoid the Trap of Big-Ticket Equipment

Equipment like grow lights, tower gardens, and other tech-based solutions can be helpful, but they’re not required for a thriving school garden. These additions can also add complexity and require maintenance that may be difficult for schools to manage long-term. Unless your school has the resources and a dedicated teacher to manage these tools, keep things simple.

Stick to Permaculture Principles

Permaculture-based gardens are an excellent approach for schools, as they encourage low-maintenance techniques that support plant health and biodiversity naturally. Using methods like composting, mulching, and companion planting (guilds) and techniques such as Hugelkultur and Sheet-mulching reduces the need for frequent upkeep and expensive inputs.

Why a School Garden is Worth the Investment (Even on a Budget)

When done right, school gardens don’t need much in terms of financial resources. What’s far more important than money is careful planning, correct community engagement, and ensuring that students are hands-on every step of the way. A garden that is led by teachers, grown by students, and connected to the curriculum is easy to build, provides lasting value, and requires very little money.

These gardens teach life skills, connect students with good food and the environment, and offer lessons in responsibility, teamwork, and patience.

With a student-centered approach, school gardens become incredibly cost-effective. The garden experience alone brings value to students' lives that no price tag can capture. Every penny you put into a school garden done right is worth it.

Interested in learning more? If you’d like to dive deeper into creating an affordable school garden, check out the latest episode of my podcast, School Gardens with Ease. I go in-depth on the topic, breaking down the myths around school garden costs and sharing more ideas for making this a reality at your school without breaking the budget.