Growing Knowledge: Researching & Planning My Vegetable Garden

For my inquiry project, I have decided to take a deep dive into growing a vegetable garden. Gardening has always interested me, and I often grow my own herbs and sprouts. However, until moving to Victoria in September, I never had the backyard space to create a “real” garden. One of the biggest draws to our new home was the ample front and back yard space, as well as the existing gardens and the green thumbs of the others living in the house.

The Benefits of Teaching Gardening in Schools

When it comes to education, I believe that teaching children how to garden offers diverse and meaningful benefits. Gardening nurtures the brain, body, and soul, making it a valuable addition to the classroom. It naturally integrates into subjects like science and PHE while also providing opportunities to embed Indigenous knowledge by teaching students about the land, native plants, and traditional gardening methods. Beyond academics, gardening can serve as a therapeutic outlet—offering students a break from the demands of school while fostering self-regulation, patience, and responsibility. Perhaps most importantly, introducing children to gardening at a young age may ignite a lifelong passion for growing their own food and connecting with nature.

Step 1: Creating a Timeline

Before getting started, I needed to establish a structured plan. I created the following vegetable garden timeline to guide my process:

Step 2: Facilitating January Checklist, Research & Prep

Research Vegetables

With my timeline in place, my first task for January was to research and prepare. I began by exploring which vegetables grow well in Victoria, when to plant them, and what I would need to start my garden successfully. After some research, I decided to buy seeds for the following vegetables:

• Vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, leeks, chili peppers, butternut squash, spinach, and lettuce.
• Herbs: Dill, basil, cilantro, and thyme.

Some of these crops need to be started indoors, while others thrive when directly sown in the garden in the spring. To organize this information, I asked ChatGPT to create a table summarizing when and how to plant each crop:

Gather Gardening Supplies & Build Germination Station

Next, I needed to set up an indoor germination station. To better understand what this would require, I turned to YouTube and found two helpful videos:

• BUDGET Indoor Seed Starting Setup THAT WORKS!
• How to Start Seeds Indoors (Step-by-Step) – Northlawn Flower Farm

From these videos, I learned that I would need:

• A shelving unit
• Vegetable and herb seeds
• Plant lights
• Seed trays
• Germination soi
• Heating pad (optional)

Because I wanted to keep this project budget-friendly, both as a student and as a future teacher with limited classroom resources, I searched Facebook Marketplace for affordable options. I managed to find a shelving unit and seed trays with soil for just $15 and will be borrowing plant lights and a heating pad from a classmate. With those secured, the only thing left to buy was the seeds!

Creating a Garden Plan

The final step in my January checklist was to map out my garden layout. To effectively map out a garden that would be successful, I researched: