This month’s tips are about planting ornamental school gardens:
- Consider including flowers and herbs to attract beneficial insects to your garden.
- Choose plants suited to your site’s light and soil.
- Group plants in clusters for maximum impact and mix heights, textures, and blooming times to provide visual interest and keep your garden blooming all season long.
- Check to see if a plant you are considering is an invasive plant before you plant it.
- It’s ok to plant flowers with vegetables! One of the great benefits of growing flowers and vegetables together is they help control pests. For example, marigolds are great for companion planting while attracting beneficial insects and repelling squash bugs. However, some flowers should not be grown with vegetables such as oleander, foxglove or gladiolus.
For more information, check out our Monthly School Garden Checklist on our Managing Your School Garden resource page. Organized by month, each section provides a checklist for planning and tasks needed to be done on a seasonal basis for success in a school garden.
