There are so many ways to benefit and learn from horticulture in the school setting. We offer a wide selection of professional modules that deliver fun, hands on learning to your classroom or PD day.

• All of our programs can be delivered in classrooms, at conferences or PD sessions, or at our greenhouse/farm location. 
• We are available to travel anywhere in Manitoba (travel and/or mileage fees apply)
• All programs are available in French and in English.
• For more information on any of our school programs, please contact Suzanne Simpson 



THEMES AVAILABLE FOR FALL AND WINTER

These workshops lend themselves well to the materials available and natural cycles of the fall months

Light It Up: Install grow lights in your class to produce year-round edible produce or learn about what’s needed to make a green oasis in a corner of your school. Students will plant seeds which will grow into edible micro greens for them to eat in 28 days.

Bulbs: These modified leaves grow underground are planted in the fall. Learn about how bulbs can be delicious or deadly. Students will plant bulbs in a flower bed in the school and explore a variety of bulbs with the aid of a dissection microscope. A great way to work on next-year’s gardens!

Seeds: A perfect session for fall while the plants around us are all offering seeds. Students will dissect fruit samples to find seeds and learn about different modes of seed transportation by looking at live plant examples. Students will learn about seed collection and take home the collected viable seeds for spring planting at their homes or schools.

Harvest: Would you like your students to learn more deeply about the fruits and vegetables they have harvested from their garden? Did you know that carrots are biennial? That potatoes and tomatoes are both members of the nightshade family? Hands-on experiences interacting with fruits and vegetables will be features including dissections and taste-testing.

Sprouts: Learn the secrets of seeds! Students will explore  stages of seed growth through hands-on examples and a dissection microscope. Seed varieties and seed sorting will help students appreciate the diversity in shape, size, uses and colour that seeds offer. Each student will bring home some seeds to sprout and share with their families.

THEMES AVAILABLE FOR SPRING/EARLY SUMMER

These workshops are ideal during the warming days of spring, as daylight goes up and the potential for getting outdoors beckons

Berrylicious: Create an edible perennial garden by planting fruiting bushes, trees and berries for children to forage.

Diversity Gardens: Plants from around the world can be grown in Manitoba. Learn about the countries of origin of some international plants which can be grown outside in our gardens (Asiatic greens, chickpeas, molokhia, etc…) and those which can flourish inside (cinnamon, allspice, lemongrass, etc..) Taste, smell, touch and see edible and useful plants from places outside of Canada. Students will each go home with a seeded container for them to grow and enjoy. A perfect program for diverse schools.

Made in Manitoba: Learn about the plants that call Manitoba home and which have adapted to live in our unique climate. Wild flowers, grasses and bushes will be introduced during a game and students will get to interact directly with live plant examples. A hands-on root division activity will be provided.

Medicine Wheel Garden: Students will learn about the 4 medicines from the medicine wheel and interact with them in their live and dried forms. Learn about what each sacred herb requires to thrive. Please note that this program offers a botanical perspective on the four sacred herbs and Sage Garden Greenhouse recommends contacting a local Indigenous Elder to share about the cultural perspective. Students will plant sage seeds in containers to be brought home or enjoyed at school. 

Plants Pollinators Love: What does Bee Balm, Echinacea and Rudbekia have in common? They are all loved by pollinators! Learn about the top ten plants which attract pollinators and interact with plants that bees and butterflies adore. Perfect complement to the Grade 2 science. Students will dissect flowers and plant seeds for a hands-on activity.

Create Your Own Adventure Garden: What would you like to explore in your garden space? Herbs and teas? Butterflies? Light spectrum? Five senses? You and your students choose the focus and we'll run with it! 

Victory Garden: Interested in starting a vegetable garden but need some hands-on support with planning and planting? Garden designs, requirements and plant options are shared with your students as they select which type of garden they would like to establish. Planting demonstrations and hands-on opportunities to plant seeds, bulbs, tubers and transplanted plants are available.

Wonderful Weeds: A weed is but an unloved plant. Learn more about the names, uses, historical significance and lifecycle of the weeds in your schoolyard.  Make use of these free resources as you learn to identify common weeds and debate whether certain plants are weeds or not. A great program for classes participating in the week/month outside challenge.

THEMES PERFECT ANY FOR SEASON!

All of these fun projects can be delivered any time of the year! 

3 Sisters: Learn more about the three plants which make up this traditional Aboriginal garden and about other companion planting pairings. Students will conduct fruit dissections and play companion pairing games.

5 senses: Using our five sense, live plants are touched, smelled, tasted, seen and listened to. Students will interact with over a dozen plants and use their five senses to guess the plants which are hidden under brown paper bags before learning more about their needs and uses. A perfect fit for the Grade 1 science curriculum.

Fix It: Discouraged by past gardening projects that have not met your expectations? Run into barriers to success with your school gardening projects? We are here to trouble shoot and reboot! 

Making soil: Ever wonder how soil is made? Explore soil variations and observe a vermicomposter by interacting with red wrigglers. Students will make worm hotels and run worm races as they learn about how worms help form soil.

Oasis: Are you looking to bring more greenery into your classroom? Learn about the most popular indoor plants with your students and how they can help to purify the air and create a calming corner in your class. Students will meet and interact with a variety of indoor plants with a variety of textures, aromas, tastes and forms. A perfect inspirational session for art-lovers and plant-lovers alike. Choose between a classroom planting activity or a starter set of houseplants for your class.

Plant Anatomy: With the help of live plant ambassadors, explore differences and similarities between roots, leaves, stems, flowers and  seeds/fruits on many plants from around the world. Students will touch, smell, taste plant parts and make a plant part salad together to enjoy. A perfect complement to the Grade 3 science curriculum.

Plant Babies: Ever wonder how new plants begin?Learn about the 4 types of plant propagation and start your own baby plants to observe over the next weeks in your classroom. A great way to start a year-long growing project which will be ready as a mother's day/father's day gift in the spring.

VCR3: Learn more about how to start vermicomposting, composting, waste reduction, reuse, recycling or up-cycling in your classroom or school. Learn about what you can do to reduce your impact on the planet and calculate your environmental footprint. Each child will bring home an up-cycled art project.

Weird and Useful Plants: Have you ever seen a carnivorous plant? Learn about the weirdest plants we have at the greenhouse and interact with the live plants brought straight to your classroom! Students will learn in detail about the unique needs, habitats and uses for some of the weirdest and most useful plants.