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Fall is here, and while outdoor gardens may be winding down, your classroom gardening journey is just getting started! In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, Leila Mireskandari explains how fall and winter activities fit into her brand-new School Gardens with Ease course. From harvesting last year’s crops with new students to hands-on indoor gardening projects like seed stratification, seed balls, and growing microgreens, you’ll learn exactly how to keep your students engaged with nature—even when it’s too cold to plant outside.

Whether you’re planning a spring garden or simply want fun, low-cost classroom activities, this episode is packed with ideas to make gardening a year-round learning tool.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How the School Gardens with Ease course is structured (logistics + design/build).
• Why fall gardens are the perfect entry point for new students.
• Ways to connect fall harvests and seed saving to your curriculum.
• Indoor fall and winter gardening projects, including:
  • Stratifying milkweed seeds for spring planting
  • Creating seed balls and seed paper (perfect for holiday gifts!)
  • Growing sprouts and microgreens with minimal supplies
• How these activities tie into the Oasis Fall & Winter program.

Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• 🌱 School Gardens with Almost No Summer Maintenance Class
• 📘 Free Guide: Indoor Gardening Activities for Fall & Winter
• 🍂 Oasis Fall & Winter Lesson Plan Package – Join the Waitlist

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Have you ever wished you could create your own school garden program, tailored to your classroom and teaching style? In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, I share the exciting news — I’m developing a full class that teaches my entire method for building educational school gardens from start to finish.

You’ll hear how your feedback shaped this decision, why this program is for classroom teachers (not just garden clubs), and what’s included — from garden design and logistics to summer maintenance. I also share why I avoid overly complicated systems like hydroponics and grow towers, and instead focus on simple, affordable, and effective approaches that work for any grade level, including high school.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How your feedback inspired a brand-new school garden course
• The three core elements every educational garden needs: design, logistics, and summer maintenance
• Why this class is ideal for teachers who work with the same group of students regularly
• Practical, low-cost alternatives to high-tech growing systems
• How to access my School Gardens with Almost No Summer Maintenance resources before the price goes up

Whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school, this episode will show you how to integrate hands-on gardening into your curriculum — without adding extra stress or expense.

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:

• Feedback page
• Free guide: School Gardens with Almost No Summer Maintenance
• Low-cost webinar on summer maintenance strategies
• Full class: School Gardens with Almost No Summer Maintenance (enroll before the fee increases!)
  [Insert direct links here]

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Spoiler alert: Yes, and no!
In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, I finally answer the question many of you have been wondering: Is growing a school garden really as easy as I keep saying it is?

The short answer: It depends on how and why you do it.
Most school gardens fail or become overwhelming because they're not built for education. But when your school garden is teacher-led, student-built, and connected directly to curriculum goals, it can be surprisingly simple—and incredibly powerful.

🌱 Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

• Why most school gardens fail—and what makes mine different
• What I actually mean when I say school gardens are easy
• The non-negotiable role of education as the garden’s primary purpose
• How students, not volunteers, should be doing the work
• What parents’ roles should and shouldn’t be
• How working with nature (not against her!) makes gardening easier
• Why planning, strategy, and patience are key to long-term success
• What it means to have a growth mindset in the garden

Whether you’re a teacher who's never touched soil or a parent eager to help, this episode will give you the honest roadmap to starting a school garden that’s simple, sustainable, and seriously educational.

🎧 Tune in now and find out the truth behind the “ease” of school gardens.
👩‍🏫 Ready to start your own classroom garden the right way? Explore the Oasis done-for-you programs and more.