Page 55 - School Garden Development Guide - 4th Edition

Building Clearances
When choosing a location for your school garden and the design
for the garden, consideration must be given to the placement
of plants, trees and bushes. When planting, it is important to
maintain a mandatory separation between the building and the
specific plants, shrubs and trees. We want to make sure that
trees, rooting systems and animals do not interfere with the
building structure. To ensure your school garden is designed
correctly, work with your school technology representative to use
Google Earth to create an aerial view of all the potential garden
locations. Next, clearly mark those locations and have the map
on hand when you meet with your Area Manager when you seek
location approval. For more specific guidance regarding building
clearances, visit the Building Code Services section of this guide.

Create Destinations
Draw visitors in. Design paths and areas of interest throughout
the garden. Take your visitors on a journey when they enter your
garden. Be sure the space is ADA accessible. Gardens that are not
ADA accessible will not be approved.

Integrate Artwork
Remember, the garden is an educational, outdoor learning space.
Be creative! Display artwork, create interesting signs to identify
plants, infuse inspirational messages, decorate garden beds, and
acknowledge sponsors.

Incorporate Hardscapes
Hardscapes are structures that are added to the garden such
as arbors, benches, boulders, fences, pathways, tables, stones,
trellises, walkways, etc. Inside the District we do have limitations
as to what hardscape features we will allow on a school campus.
These restrictions pertain to student safety more than anything
else.

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