Introduction on Gardening:

For this free inquiry post, I will be looking at the benefits of bringing students on a field trip to a local garden to learn about plant species, gardening techniques, soil function, biodiversity and ecosystems.

For this field trip, I would bring students to the Cranbrook Public Produce Garden.

I have chosen this location because I have personally brought students to this garden to learn about all of it’s functions. It has a lot to offer and a variety of plant species.

photo source: cory bullock

Composting and Soil:

Firstly, I would introduce the importance of soil to students.

I would do this by showing students the compost bin at the public produce garden. This compost bin is a mix of green material and brown material, which over time turns into soil that fertilizes the gardens. Students will be able to not only learn how this process works, but see it as well.

photo source: kidsdogardening.org

Next, I will teach children about the function of soil, and how composted matter relates to this. We’ll explore how soil acts as a foundation for plant life, and how it provides nutrients, water, and root stability.

“A big piece of education in the garden is the importance of soil regeneration and gardening practices that are sustainable”.

Robert Holmes: dedicated volunteer at the Cranbrook Public Produce Garden

Soil plays a very important role in overall plant health. The Cranbrook Public Produce Garden uses a ‘lasagna gardening’ technique in order to maintain soil health. According to Holmes, the gardeners take clean cardboard and lay it on the ground, then throw on roughage, like leaves, and add compost and soil on top. This method improves the overall structure of the soil, and enriches it with nutrients.

image source: vegogarden.com

Plant Life:

Next, I would introduce students to the variety of plant life they have at the community gardens. From giant heads of lettuce to weaving grape vines, the gardens have a huge selection of plants to look at.

I would show students the life cycle of plants, and we would analyze what stages the plants we see are in.

image source: science4fun.info

I would then show students some gardening techniques, and explain how complex gardening can really be. You have to strategically place plants so that they all receive the proper amount of sun and water. Additionally, some plants need a supportive structure to climb on in order to thrive.

Adding in Technology:

I would have students analyze the various plant species in the garden. A way to incorporate technology into this would be to introduce students to a plant identifying app that can help them figure out which plant is which.

After some research, I believe that the PlantNet app would be the most suitable for this field trip.

Students would be able to simply take pictures of plants, and this app would help identify what plant species it is.

Ecosystems and Gardening

Lastly, I would look at how ecosystems tie into urban gardening.

Urban gardens promote biodiversity by providing habitats for a variety of species. I would get students to search around for any living organisms in the gardens to begin this lesson.

Gardens support pollinators such as bees, butterflies, flies and beetles, and even provide food sources and nesting sites for other animals.

photo source: ucsc