School Gardens with Ease

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the School Gardens with Ease podcast, Leila Mireskandari dives into the crucial steps of transplanting seedlings into your school garden. Whether you've been growing seedlings with your students in the classroom, selling them, or have purchased new ones, it's essential to prepare them for the outside world to minimize transplant shock. Leila breaks dow...

Send us Fan Mail Are you overwhelmed by the idea of fertilizing your school garden during summer break—or worse, feeling disappointed when your garden underperforms come fall? In this episode, Leila Mireskandari shares a powerful shift in perspective: you don’t need to fertilize your school garden during summer at all—if you set it up right from the beginning . 💡 Learn why proactive garden design...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to School Gardens with Ease ! I’m your host, Leila Mireskandari , and in this episode, we’re tackling a question that comes up a lot around this time of year: 👉 How much cleanup does a school garden really need in the summer? If you’re a bit of a clean freak when it comes to your school garden—or you’re feeling overwhelmed by summer maintenance—this episode is for yo...

Send us Fan Mail Weeding might be the most dreaded chore for school garden volunteers, especially during the summer—but what if it didn’t have to be? In this episode, Leila challenges the common belief that weeds are inevitable in gardens. She breaks down why weeds show up, how our cultural biases shape our attitudes toward them, and how you can design your school garden to prevent them in the fir...

Send us Fan Mail Is your school garden going to thrive this summer—or completely overwhelm your volunteers and fizzle out in a tangle of weeds? In this episode of School Gardens with Ease , I’m diving back into summer maintenance (yep, again!)—because this is the time of year to be planting with intention, and if you don’t… your garden could be doomed before the heat even hits. If you want your ga...

Send us Fan Mail Short answer: No. But the longer answer might surprise you! Summers can be tough on school gardens—drought, weeds, and neglect often leave them struggling. But what if your school garden could be designed to require almost zero summer maintenance? In this episode, I break down how Permaculture techniques can help you create a thriving school garden with:  ✅ No weeding  ✅ No clea...

Send us Fan Mail 🌱 Welcome to another episode of School Gardens with Ease ! I’m your host, Leila Mireskandari, and today’s episode is a special one—part of the Podcasthon movement, where over a thousand podcasts highlight a charity of their choice. 💧 In this episode, we’re talking about water—clean, accessible water—and why it’s critical for school gardens, communities, and the world. 🌍 What Yo...

Send us Fan Mail 🌱 Happy Spring Equinox! As gardeners, we’re excited to welcome spring, but before you grab your rake and start clearing up your school garden, pause and listen to this episode first! In today’s episode, I’m talking about one of the biggest mistakes school gardeners (and home gardeners) make— cleaning up too early in spring! Many beneficial insects like ladybugs, bees, and butterf...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to School Gardens with Ease ! I’m your host, Leila Mireskandari, and in this episode, we’re diving into an important and sometimes controversial question: Should we use plastic to grow food? In This Episode: Why I still use plastic party cups to start seeds in my Oasis programs. The dilemma of balancing environmental responsibility with practical classroom gardening. The i...

Send us Fan Mail Are you passionate about transforming education by humanizing learning? If so, this episode is for you! In this episode of School Gardens with Ease , I introduce you to Thinkering Collective —a movement dedicated to empowering students to become changemakers in their communities. Their work is all about fostering curiosity, redefining academic success beyond grades, and making rea...

Send us Fan Mail Are you an elementary or middle school teacher eager to grow a thriving classroom or school garden, without extra work outside of class time? In this episode, I break down the four programs in the Oasis Program Series to help you find the best fit for your students, space, and level of commitment. 🌱 In This Episode, You’ll Learn: ✔️ Why school gardens should be student-powered, t...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 37 of School Gardens with Ease ! In this episode, I dive into a question I often get from teachers and principals: "Can you come in and run the school garden program for us?" My short answer? No. But there’s a deeper reason behind it, and today, I’m sharing why having an external vendor grow your school garden isn’t the best approach, and why you are t...

Send us Fan Mail Let's delves into the common misconception that funding and approvals are the primary obstacles to creating a successful school garden. How about some insights on how to make the most of available resources and an emphasis on the importance of a well-connected teaching plan over physical garden infrastructure. Key Points: Funding Myths: Addressing the false belief that money...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain to give you a sneak peek into one of the gardening lesson plans from my OASIS programs. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to seamlessly integrate gardening into your curriculum while engaging your students in a hands-on and meaningful way, this episode is for you! Join me as I walk you through the essential seven layers of a succes...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to School Gardens with Ease ! In this episode, we’re diving into part 2 of writing effective lesson plans for your school garden project. If you haven’t listened to Episode 33 yet, make sure to go back and do that first! It’s packed with essential information on how to map out the tasks required to grow a garden with your students. This episode focuses on how to turn...

Send us Fan Mail Today, on the School Gardens with Ease podcast, we’re talking about a crucial part of creating successful school gardens: lesson planning. If you’re new here, one key thing to know is that school gardens should be grown by students, led by teachers, and supported by the community. Not parent-volunteer projects outside of class time. Why Lesson Plans Matter: If school gardens are b...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Part 2 of my conversation with Shant, a passionate teacher who has made classroom and school gardening a cornerstone of his teaching practice. In this episode, we dive deeper into Shant’s experience: Transitioning from indoor to outdoor gardening with the Caja Oasis program. The surprising simplicity of managing a school garden and how it fit seamlessly into his te...

Send us Fan Mail In this special two-part series, I sit down with Shant, an inspiring grade eight teacher who transformed his classroom with the Oasis Classroom program. Shant Sourian shares his journey from being, a hesitant new teacher, to becoming a passionate advocate for classroom gardening. In this episode, we explore: How Shant discovered the Oasis Classroom program and why he was initially...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Final Episode of 2024! In this reflective and inspiring episode, Leila Mireskandari wraps up the year by encouraging you to look back on your school garden journey (or none thereof) in 2024 and dream big for 2025. It’s the perfect time to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and how to make your school garden dreams a reality in the coming year. In This Episode, You’l...

Send us Fan Mail Thriving School Gardens don't happen by accident! In this episode of School Gardens with Ease , I’m guiding you through the steps to create an impactful, sustainable, and educational garden at your school. Whether you’re a teacher or a supportive parent, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you avoid common pitfalls and set your garden up for success. What Yo...

Send us Fan Mail Looking for a shortcut to an easy school garden? Welcome to Episode 28 of School Gardens with Ease ! In this special episode, your host Leila Mireskandari shifts gears to share what’s been on her mind lately—her annual free 70-minute webinar , starting December 1st. This webinar is all about empowering educators and parents to grow school gardens with ease, and in this episode, Le...

Send us Fan Mail Don't grow whatever whenever! Seasons matter! In this episode of School Gardens with Ease , Leila Mireskandari dives into a crucial aspect of gardening success: timing and seasonal planning . Whether you’re a teacher eager to grow educational gardens or a parent supporting a school gardening project, understanding the seasons is non-negotiable. Leila explains why growing plan...

Send us Fan Mail Let's welcome Lauren MacLean, a passionate children's author, educator, and outdoor learning consultant. Lauren’s books, including Me and My Sit Spot and Finding Common Ground , inspire young readers to connect with nature, and her work as an educator brings hands-on outdoor experiences into the classroom. Lauren shares insights on integrating school gardens into the cur...

Send us Fan Mail Build a Resilient School Garden with Hugelkultur! In this episode, Leila shares an innovative and regenerative gardening technique that can make your school garden more resilient, water-conserving, and low-maintenance — hugelkultur !  Leila discusses how this permaculture technique, which involves creating a raised garden bed with a foundation of buried wood, can significantly red...

Send us Fan Mail Let's tackles the "Expensive" myth surrounding school gardens:  Drawing from over a decade of experience growing school gardens, Leila Mireskandari, reveals why the idea that school gardens are costly is often rooted in misconceptions, and how a well-planned garden can actually be both affordable and sustainable.  From examining why people assume school gardens are...