Choosing Plants For A School Garden Guidelines For Getting It Right
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By Jonathan Yaakobi
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There is hardly a plant in the world that someone somewhere cannot object to for any particular reason. Plants can be poisonous, viciously thorny or allergenic. Many attract bees or encourage unwanted critters to lurk in the undergrowth.
A head teacher rightly concerned for the safety of the children and staff, and perhaps visualizing a nasty lawsuit in the future, might be forgiven for nagging the maintenance staff to remove much existing plant material, and discouraging the further development of a garden.
This would be a great pity, as not only is a garden in itself so beneficial to a school, but contains within it, educational potential of unlimited and perhaps undervalued scope. On what then should the school authorities focus their concern, and on what matters can they afford to exercise a more lenient approach?
Poisonous and allergenic plants
A clear distinction should be drawn between the two. Some people are allergic to certain plant species such as Olive and Cypress trees, while a tiny minority can be sensitive to grasses. Clearly to prohibit a plant on such grounds would be effectively to exclude all plants from the school grounds. Hay fever after all is caused by pollen.
Poisonous plants are another matter. These are plants whose toxic levels are so high that they really do threaten the health and in some cases the life of anyone who ingests them. Nerium Oleander is a case in point, and should be absolutely banned from the school. An inventory of existing and proposed species should be gathered and examined, and poisonous plants removed.
Spiky and thorny plants
This where common sense has to come into play. To exclude all thorny plants could seriously deplete the range of species available. Many excellent garden mainstays, such as roses for instance, possess thorns. However, there are some plants that are so dangerous, especially if planted by paths and narrow entryways, that they amount to the proverbial accident waiting to happen. The worst case is the date palm, Phoenix dactilifera. I personally know a five-year-old boy suffering more than one year on from a stab wound he received from a date palm leaf. Other examples include the horrific spikes of Yucca and the vicious thorns of Bougainvillea. Just think what might happen if a child runs into a Yucca bush, sitting nicely at eye level.
Plants that attract wild life
It is quite likely that a concerned parent, visiting the school on open day, might point out that a certain plant attracts bees and is therefore dangerous. It should be remembered though, that a large number of flowering plants attract bees, anxious to lap up the nectar contained in the flowers. Taken to its logical conclusion, virtually all plants that bloom would be banned.
In fact, the garden should be attracting to it as much wild life as possible. This is mainly achieved by desisting from applying pesticides and chemical fertilizers. In addition, certain plants can be chosen precisely because they attract organisms like butterflies and hummingbirds. The Pineapple Guava, Feijoa sellowiana, is a fine choice in this regard, because not only is it a lovely ornamental shrub with edible fruit, but it attracts hummingbirds as well.
Trees shrubs and flowers
It is unnecessary to reject deciduous trees and shrubs on the grounds that they will litter the pavement. There is not a tree in the world that does not litter to some extent, and some evergreens are actually more of a nuisance. A deciduous tree is an essential educational element in the school grounds, as its anatomical changes through the year can be monitored and recorded by the schoolchildren.
Finally, for practical purposes, flower color is best provided by trees and shrubs, with annual flowers and possibly perennials too, excluded in favor of herbs and vegetable beds. Perhaps these are less pretty than a flowerbed, but the type of horticulture involved is less consumerist and more sustainable in a school situation, and possibly more educational, in the wider meaning of the term as well.
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Author Bio Box: Jonathan Yaakobi
 My name is Jonathan Ya'akobi.
I've been gardening in a professional capacity since 1984.
I am the former head gardener of the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, but now concentrate on building gardens for private home owners.
I also teach horticulture to students on training courses.
I'd love to help you get the very best from your garden,
so you're welcome to visit me on http://www.dryclimategardening.com
or contact me at jonathan@dryclimategardening.com
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