Earth Day is almost upon us, 10 days to go in fact! Have you planned what you will be doing with your students and kids to acknowledge the day and make a positive impact on your environment together? Don’t despair, it’s not too late to get an idea up and running! Why not start a little herb garden for instance – this is an affordable solution and the set-up is simple, fun and educational!

I love it when teachers and parents teach their children sustainable living. We all need to know our ABC’s and Mathematics, but we need to know how to live and take care of ourselves too. Many schools start vegetable garden projects, which is awesome, but if you are low on budget or space, why not start a little herb garden with the kids instead? 

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The first step is to raise the project idea with your students and leap into a discussion. Ask them what kind of herbs they would like to grow, or if they are younger, tell them a bit about what herbs are and what they are used for. Discuss their healing properties, their smells and how some of them are used in certain meals. 

After studying herbs a little and having a good discussion about them, you might want to ask the students if they think herbs will make a difference to the environment, and if so, why. This is just to emphasise the fact that you are not only doing this project for fun, but to help the world too.

Then, it’s time to head outdoors! Make sure you have the following supplies on hand:

• Potting soil
• Pots or raised wooden planters
• Pebbles
• A variety of herb seeds or seedlings
• Water
• Let the gardening begin!

I prefer to plant my herbs in pots or raised beds (except for rosemary and lavender), simply because many herb species are quite fragile and are easier to maintain and keep healthy when contained. So, making sure your planters have holes for drainage, cover the bottom layer with pebbles, fill with fresh clean soil and pop in your seeds or seedlings. 

* Because Earth Day is almost upon us, I would suggest using seedlings instead of seeds, so that the students can see and appreciate their produce.

Create a chore chart

Like all plants, herbs need attention. They need to be watered and treated for bugs. A good idea is to create a rotational chore chart, where each student takes a turn to care and nurture the plants. This will instil responsibility in them and they will also appreciate their bounty more, as it grows. 

Harvest your bounty

This project is to encourage sustainable living, as well as to protect the earth. So, once the herbs are a little bigger and have rooted themselves well into the soil, head out with your kids and harvest some of your produce, with the intention of using it to make your own food, or products! For instance:

1. Make Chamomile Tea
2. A lavender lotion
3. Cook up a storm with some Basil and Rosemary
4. Make cleaning products using Sage
5. Freshen the air using pepper mint

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If you scour the net, you will find tons of ideas and uses for herbs that will help you in every area of your life!

What I love about projects like these is that they are not only kept to one day of celebrating the earth, the gardens are there to be maintained, hopefully forever! As you get new students, they can build on to the gardens, or create their own watering systems and compost heaps, making the world a better place as they learn.

How will you be celebrating Earth Day this year, if I may ask?

Much love - @sweetpea

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