Our school vegetable garden ideas will help give you inspiration for your school garden and show you how to use raised beds within an education setting. We have worked with many teachers over the years and provided advice on which designs would suit their schools and the children using them to help create brilliant spaces for children to learn and grow.
Growing vegetables with children is an excellent way to help young minds understand where food comes from by caring for and nurturing the plants as they grow and by giving children ownership of their own growing space also means they are more likely to be invested in the outcome.
The importance of having a vegetable garden in school
There are so many benefits of school vegetable gardens, on an academic level it will help to enrich various subjects including sciences, maths, english and art, and on a personal level it will support physical and mental wellbeing, build confidence, encourage teamwork and communications and help youngsters to gain a better understanding of the environment. It can also help to break down barriers across different ages and abilities, but overall gardening will bring youngsters closer to nature and in a world with so much technology, even in the classroom, the school garden will be a welcome break.
Getting started
The hardest part of the process with any garden is getting started and we know this all too well as we work with so many different people and organisations who are at the planning stage of their garden. This is where our expertise and knowledge can help. Not only can we help with planning the layout of your garden we can also create bespoke designs that are personal to your school. Our Free Bespoke Design Service is here to help bring the vision for your vegetable garden at school to life.
Your getting started checklist
Once you have surveyed the site to ensure it is suitable and carried out the necessary risk assessments you can get started on planning your school vegetable garden.
- Think about the space you have allocated for the garden, where does the sunlight fall and how much sunlight does it get during the day, ideally you will build the raised beds in space that gets the most light throughout the day
- Measure the garden area you have available
- Think about how many raised beds you would like and rough sizes, making sure that children can easily access the centre of the raised bed with ease
- What shapes would you like to include? Standard rectangles or something a little bit different?
- How will the raised beds be laid out in your school garden?
- Make sure you have planned enough space between the raised beds for wheelbarrow access and for children to work comfortably between the raised beds
- Who will be using the raised beds? If you have children using wheelchairs or who need to seated to tend to the garden we can create designs so that everyone can enjoy working in the garden
Our design team will help you plan out your garden, we can work with rough sketches and written ideas and create a series of designs based on your wishlist.
School vegetable garden ideas
If you need some ideas for school vegetable gardens then our popular school raised beds designs are a great place to start. We've been working with schools for more than 10 years and have created a collection of the most popular designs.
Rectangular, L-shaped, curved or angled raised beds
Create a traditional vegetable garden layout with our rectangular raised bed design, or mix things up and include an eye catching shape. Our L-shaped raised beds are great for creating a partition, or you can choose Octagonal styles. Our raised bed calculator features each of these shapes so you can add your own measurements and work out exactly what you need.
Multi-level raised beds
Add different levels of planting to your school vegetable garden with one of our multi-level designs. You can add vegetables to one section and grow colourful flowers in another.
Wheelchair and accessible raised beds
These designs are ideal for youngsters who don’t have the mobility to reach the soil. We create these designs using our Free Design Service, based on the needs of the pupils so the height is always perfect for the end user.
Designs for small spaces
Whilst our U-shaped or H-shaped raised beds are ideal for small spaces, the accessible centre means that youngsters can work in the middle and all around the edges.
Multifunctional planters
Our planter seats are a great option if your school doesn’t have space for a vegetable garden. Each design includes space for growing and several places to sit. Or use them to create a growing zone within your school.
Best vegetables for school gardens
For those with a short attention span, crops that show a quick return are best but you can grow but the best vegetables for school gardens are the ones that the children like to eat.
- Micro-leaves offer the fastest harvest time, as they are just seedlings and can be grown like cress;
- Salad crops such as lettuce leaves and radishes are quick to grow and harvest
- Potatoes are a great vegetable that everyone likes to eat
- Carrots, whilst tricky to get straight they’re an easy crop to grow
- Peas and beans - opt for a low raised bed for these for the children can reach the produce
- Beetroot - this brightly coloured vegetable is another easy option to grow
Think about adding some extra plants such as marigolds and sweet peas to enough more bees and butterflies to visit your school vegetable garden. Or some edible flowers such as pansies and nasturtiums.
Benefits of using WoodBlocX in schools
Everything needed is supplied
All of our wood is pre-cut and all of the components needed to build the structures are supplied, there is no cutting of timber needed nor is there any waste.
Easy to transport
WoodBlocX components arrive on a pallet, the components are easy to unload and move to your school garden as everything is lightweight and can be easily carried if needed.
Easy to build
The joy of WoodBlocX is that everyone from pupils to the PTA can get involved in building them. Youngsters can help by fetching the BlocX and laying them out and even, with supervision, knock the blocks in place. Every kit is supplied with a set of easy-to-follow step by step instructions which will guide you through each layer of the build.
Strong, durable and long lasting
WoodBlocX is made in the UK and all structures are guaranteed for 15 years so you can build WoodBlocX raised beds at your school safe in the knowledge that the structure will be in place for many, many years to come. Due to the way our structures are built, using wooden blocks and strong dowels, cracking from frost or warping over time will not happen. We always recommend lining your raised beds this will help to preserve them for even longer.
Our school gallery
Take a look at our school case studies
Helpful resources
RHS Campaign for school Gardening
Garden Organic - Education
