“Weeds Are Not the Enemy”: A Fresh Perspective for School Gardeners

Let me paint a picture for you.

It’s early September (Or for some of you August). You and your students excitedly head back to school after your summer vacation and your eyes catch the school garden you planted last spring. But instead of juicy tomatoes and lush kale, you're greeted by a wall of... weeds.

Cue the sighs. The frustration. The “Why did I even bother?” feeling.

Sound familiar?

You're not alone. One of the most common complaints I hear from teachers and summer garden volunteers is this:
“Weeding is the worst!”

But what if I told you that weeding doesn’t have to be a part of your school garden story at all?

Yes — really.

The Big Gardening Myth

Somewhere along the way, we've been sold the idea that gardening = endless weeding. It’s become such a given that we treat it like an unchangeable law of nature.

But it’s not.

There are plenty of thriving productive gardens out there that hardly ever get weeded. The difference? They’ve been set up intentionally — to discourage weeds in the first place and work with nature, not against her.

And guess what! Your school garden can be one of those.

What If We Rethought Weeds Altogether?

Let me tell you something that might surprise you:

Weeds are not “bad.”

In fact, many of them are edible, medicinal, beautiful, and even beneficial to your soil and plants. Dandelions? A delicacy in Italy. Goldenrod? A bouquet filler in England. (Yes, really.)

Weeds are just plants nature picks — usually because we left bare soil lying around and she felt the need to cover and protect it.

That’s right: weeds are nature’s mulch.

So instead of fighting them, let’s ask: Why did they show up in the first place?

Nature Hates Bare Soil

Here’s a simple truth that changed everything for me:
If you don’t plant it, nature will.

When you leave soil exposed, nature kicks in to protect it, with whatever seeds are handy. Usually, that’s weeds.

The solution? Plant densely and mulch the rest. Cover every square inch of soil with your chosen plants or a layer of mulch, and you leave little opportunity for weeds to jump in.

This (and a lot more) is what I teach in my online class, School Gardens with Almost No Summer Maintenance. I walk you through smart planting strategies and a method called sheet mulching — a Permaculture favorite for suppressing weeds before they even start.

So… Should You Panic If a Weed Pops Up?

Nope. Not even a little.

Sometimes a weed or two will appear, even in the best-planned garden. That’s not a sign of failure — it's just nature doing her thing. Take a breath, maybe even leave it if it’s not bothering your plants, and remember that a garden doesn’t have to be a battleground.

It can be a collaboration.

Want to learn how to stop weeds before they start?
🎧 Listen to this week’s episode of School Gardens with Ease
🌱 Or dive into the full course here:
👉 School Gardens with Almost No Summer Maintenance

Let’s build gardens that are fun, manageable, and wildly successful — even during summer break. 🌞

#HappyGrowing
— Leila