ABC Garden

The ABC garden is an easy, long row garden. Select flowers, vegetables and herbs that match each letter of the alphabet and have a large painted letter nearby to help children identify it.

For example:

A = aster, B = butterfly weed, C = carrot

The garden can also incorporate textures (plant lamb's ear, a wooly, somewhat drought-tolerant herb with soft, touchable leaves). Use highly scented herbs like mints for "M" to make the garden more sensory.

Keep in mind when selecting your plant alphabet that you want to have the plant growing and in bloom during the school year whenever possible. While planting sunflowers for "S" would be popular, most varieties of sunflower are very frost tender and wouldn't bloom until May near the end of the school year if you plant them during the recommended window beginning in late February. Check with your county extension office for suggested planting schedules for your area.

For help with signage, look to neighborhood and district contacts. A nearby middle school with an industrial tech center may be eager to find extra projects and could be more than happy to work with you.