I like to see other children’s gardens. Last summer our family took a one-month roadtrip to Washington, and in addition to seeing friends, family, and the sights, we stopped at school gardens along the way. On this page I plan to post all of the charming and educational garden ideas I’m collecting. Sometime the idea comes from a museum or a school or a park—I think all have potential applications in the garden.
Each site is labeled, and a directory to their websites is below. (You can click on the individual pictures to enlarge them, and then click through like a slideshow.)
Brightly painted birdhouse (National Botanic Garden, D.C.)
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- Plants with common “animal” names (Life Lab)
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- From the “zoo” garden (Life Lab)
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- Kids cannot resist tunnels, especially living ones (Life Lab)
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- Someone has been making mudpies! (Life Lab)
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- Small yet productive beds (Life Lab)
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- Clever way to store watering cans (Life Lab)
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- Easel, natural materials (Life Lab)
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- Painted rain barrels (Life Lab)
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- Good reminders (Life Lab)
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- Kids seem to love curvy shapes (Turtle Bay)
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- Rebar arch (Edible Schoolyard)
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- Outdoor oven (Edible Schoolyard)
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- Colorful, reusable signs (Edible Schoolyard)
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- Posted mission statement at the Edible Schoolyard
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- Places to hide! (Santa Barbara Zoo)
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- A place to perch (Santa Barbara Zoo)
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- Creative, child-sized gate (Santa Barbara Zoo)
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- A drape of pinecones! (Westmont College)
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- Cardboard scarecrow (Farm + Food Lab, Great Park, Irvine)
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- A cute idea, for a non-functional wheelbarrow (Farm + Food Lab, Great Park Irvine)
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- Beds can be little (Farm + Food Lab, Great Park, Irvine)
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- Solar powered aquaponics (Farm + Food Lab, Great Park Irvine)
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- Efficient way to grow strawberries (Farm + Food Lab, Great Park, Irvine)
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- Love these moveable boxes (Farm + Food Lab, Great Park, Irvine)
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- (Farm + Food Lab, Great Park Irvine)
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- Upscale chicken house (Farm + Food Lab, Great Park Irvine)
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- Farm + Food Lab, Great Park, Irvine
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- Farm + Food Lab, Great Park Irvine
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- Clever, if this problem plagues your garden (William Elementary, San Jose)
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- (Williams Elementary, San Jose)
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- Simple pleasures—sitting on blankets under shade trees (Williams Elementary, San Jose)
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- First time I’ve seen this! (William Elementary, San Jose)
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- I love hopscotch in the garden (William Elementary, San Jose)
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- How cute is this? (Life Lab)
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- Creative signage (Life Lab)
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- Sundial (Life Lab)
Life Lab: A teaching garden on the campus of UC Santa Cruz (www.lifelab.org)
Botanic Gardens at Turtle Bay, Redding, CA (turtlebay.org)
What's not to like? 
Thank you so much for compiling these photos from your travels! So many inspiring ideas!
You’re welcome! I love to see what others are doing, and thought others might too..
I loved seeing these, Tricia. Just makes me remember all the more what a blessing the natural world is!
Dawn
Thanks Pastor Dawn! I feel the same way—the most elemental things can cause some deep wonder and delight!
Tricia,
Thanks for sharing these garden ideas! You have gotten my wheels turning for our wonderful garden at school and my own at home! – Marisa
When your wheels spin….look out!