PODCAST · education
School Gardens with Ease
by Leila
Discover how to effortlessly integrate school gardens into your elementary or middle school curriculum with the School Gardens with Ease Podcast. This podcast is your go-to resource for creating flourishing and productive food gardens that provide long-term educational benefits. Learn tips, strategies, and insights to help you grow and maintain a sustainable school garden that enhances your teaching and inspires students for years to come.
Episodes
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73: What Can Parents Do to Help Build a School Garden?
Send us Fan Mail Many school gardens are started with the best of intentions by dedicated, caring parents. Yet again and again, these gardens struggle or fail within a short time. Why does this happen, and what should parents actually do if they want to support a thriving school garden? In this...
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72: Which Oasis Program Is Right for You? A Complete Guide for Teachers
Send us Fan Mail If you’re interested in teaching through food gardens but feel unsure which Oasis program fits your classroom, this episode walks you through the full Oasis suite so you can choose with confidence. Leila explains the differences between Oasis Classroom, Caja Oasis, and Oasis...
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71: Let’s Grow an Oasis in Your Classroom This Spring
Send us Fan Mail What if you didn’t need raised beds, irrigation systems, or expensive equipment to start a school garden? In the first episode of Season 3, Leila Mireskandari—founder of Kids Growing City and longtime school-garden educator—shares why successful school gardens don’t begin…
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70: Planning Your 2026 School Garden Starts Now
Send us Fan Mail As the year winds down and the excitement of a fresh start builds, this episode is an invitation to think ahead, strategically and calmly, about your 2026 school garden. Mid-December is not too early to plan. In fact, it is the ideal time. In this episode, Leila Mireskandari...
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69: Why Haven’t You Joined the School Gardens with Ease Webinar Yet?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, Leila Mireskandari offers a heartfelt wake-up call for educators, parents, and school leaders who believe in the power of regenerative school gardens—but still haven’t attended the free School Gardens with Ease webinar. If you know…
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68: What’s on the School Gardens with Ease Free Webinar?
Send us Fan Mail Thinking about starting a school garden but don’t know where to begin, or worried it might be too much work? In this episode, host Leila Mireskandari pulls back the curtain on her annual free webinar, School Gardens with Ease, and explains why it’s a must-attend event for any...
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67: The Easiest and Most Productive Way to Grow a School Garden
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, Leila Mireskandari shares the inspiring story behind how she discovered Permaculture, and how it completely changed the way she grows and teaches school gardens. You’ll learn the two key elements that make a school garden both easy and...
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66: Can a Teacher Run a School Garden Solo?
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever dreamed of starting a school garden with your students but felt overwhelmed by the idea of needing a big team of parents, colleagues, and volunteers? In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, Leila Mireskandari challenges the myth that you can’t run a garden...
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65: How to Use Fall and Winter to Plan for a Magical Spring Food Garden
Send us Fan Mail If you’re dreaming of starting a school garden in the spring, the most important step is to start planning now, not in March or April. In this episode, Leila shares why fall and winter are the best seasons to prepare for a thriving school garden, and the common mistakes that…
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64: Grow a Non-Stop Supply of Salad Greens in Your Classroom
Send us Fan Mail Want to bring fresh, healthy food into your classroom, without needing outdoor space or expensive equipment? In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, I’ll show you exactly how to grow a continuous supply of salad greens indoors, all school year long. You’ll learn: How to set…
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63: Oasis Fall & Winter Gardening Program for Classrooms
Send us Fan Mail The doors are officially open to the Oasis Fall & Winter Program, a done-for-you lesson package designed to bring your classroom to life during the gloomiest months of the year. In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, host Leila Mireskandari shares five engaging, low-cost…
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62: How to Close (or Not Close) Your School Garden for the Winter
Send us Fan Mail Fall often signals the end of gardening season, but when it comes to school gardens, closing things down too early means missing out on valuable learning opportunities. In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, host Leila Mireskandari explains why you don’t need to clear...
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61: How to Design a School Garden
Send us Fan Mail Designing a school garden isn’t just about putting plants in the ground—it’s about creating a sustainable, low-maintenance space that engages students, thrives with minimal summer care, and becomes a true part of the school community. In this episode of School Gardens with Ease…
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60: How Fall School Gardens Fit Into School Gardens with Ease
Send us Fan Mail 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....
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59: How I’m Teaching My Complete School Garden Method – From A to Z
Send us Fan Mail 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...
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58: Is Growing a School Garden Really That Easy?
Send us Fan Mail 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…
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57: Should I Build a School Garden Course for High School Teachers?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, Leila Mireskandari shares a fresh new idea that came to her—literally—as she woke up: Should she create a School Gardens with Ease course designed for high school teachers? Up until now, Leila has worked primarily with elementary and...
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56: Should You Start a School Garden as a Club? (The Truth You Need to Hear)
Send us Fan Mail Thinking about starting your school garden as an eco club or lunchtime green team? You’re not alone—but this episode will change the way you see that common approach. In this bold and honest episode, Leila Mireskandari breaks down why growing a school garden as a club fails most…
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55: Do You Need Outdoor Garden Space to Grow Food with Your Class?
Send us Fan Mail Is an outdoor garden necessary to teach kids how to grow food? Absolutely not! In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, Leila Mireskandari challenges the myth that you need access to an outdoor school garden to create powerful, hands-on gardening experiences in your…
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54: Discover Your School Garden Teacher Type
Send us Fan Mail Do you know what kind of school garden teacher you are? In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, I help you discover your School Garden Teacher Type — so you can stop spinning your wheels and start growing with more ease, clarity, and confidence. Whether you're dreaming of…
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53: Sheet Mulch Your Way to a Caretaker-Proof Garden
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, Leila shares real stories from Toronto schools where well-meaning but misinformed caretakers accidentally damaged school gardens—from mowing over fruit trees to refusing to maintain grass paths. These challenges are more common than…
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52: What It Really Takes to Grow a Successful School Garden
Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to grow a thriving school garden year after year? Spoiler alert: it’s not a big budget, a huge team, or fancy tech. In this episode, I share the key ingredients behind the success of one of my Oasis program teachers whose garden is thriving—and...
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51: How to Set Up Your School Garden for a Stress-Free Summer
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 51 of School Gardens with Ease! As the school year winds down, are you heading into summer break with peace of mind, or dread, when it comes to your school garden? In this episode, host Leila Mireskandari helps you take a deep breath and shows you exactly how…
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School Garden Timing: The Make-or-Break Factor
Send us Fan Mail Are you unknowingly sabotaging your school garden project with poor timing? In this fiery episode, Leila Mireskandari tackles one of the most overlooked — and crucial — aspects of school gardening: plant timing. From high school science classes to elementary school projects, too...
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49: Biodiverse School Gardens
Send us Fan Mail The Secret to Low-Maintenance, Biodiverse School Gardens In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, host Leila Mireskandari dives into the concept of biodiversity and how it can be the game-changing secret to creating thriving, low-maintenance school gardens. Drawing from her...
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48: Avoid Transplant Shock – How to Harden Off School Garden Seedlings
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the School Gardens with Ease podcast, Leila Mireskandari dives into the crucial steps of transplanting seedlings into your school garden. Whether you've been growing seedlings with your students in the classroom, selling them, or have purchased new ones, it's...
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47: Should You Have People Fertilizing Your School Garden During Summer?
Send us Fan Mail Are you overwhelmed by the idea of fertilizing your school garden during summer break—or worse, feeling disappointed when your garden underperforms come fall? In this episode, Leila Mireskandari shares a powerful shift in perspective: you don’t need to fertilize your school…
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46: Is Your School Garden’s Summer Cleanup Too Much?
Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to School Gardens with Ease! I’m your host, Leila Mireskandari, and in this episode, we’re tackling a question that comes up a lot around this time of year: 👉 How much cleanup does a school garden really need in the summer? If you’re a bit of a clean freak when it...
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45: No Weeds Allowed in School Gardens! (But Don’t Panic if One Shows Up)
Send us Fan Mail Weeding might be the most dreaded chore for school garden volunteers, especially during the summer—but what if it didn’t have to be? In this episode, Leila challenges the common belief that weeds are inevitable in gardens. She breaks down why weeds show up, how our cultural…
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44: Will Your School Garden turn into a Hot Mess?
Send us Fan Mail Is your school garden going to thrive this summer—or completely overwhelm your volunteers and fizzle out in a tangle of weeds? In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, I’m diving back into summer maintenance (yep, again!)—because this is the time of year to be planting with...
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Can a School Garden Thrive with No Summer Maintenance?
Send us Fan Mail Short answer: No. But the longer answer might surprise you! Summers can be tough on school gardens—drought, weeds, and neglect often leave them struggling. But what if your school garden could be designed to require almost zero summer maintenance? In this episode, I break down…
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Why Water Matters – For Your Garden, Your Students, and the World
Send us Fan Mail 🌱 Welcome to another episode of School Gardens with Ease! I’m your host, Leila Mireskandari, and today’s episode is a special one—part of the Podcasthon movement, where over a thousand podcasts highlight a charity of their choice. 💧 In this episode, we’re talking about...
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Spring Cleaning Mistakes That Hurt Your School Garden
Send us Fan Mail 🌱 Happy Spring Equinox! As gardeners, we’re excited to welcome spring, but before you grab your rake and start clearing up your school garden, pause and listen to this episode first! In today’s episode, I’m talking about one of the biggest mistakes school gardeners (and home...
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40: Should You Use Plastic to Grow Food?
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to School Gardens with Ease! I’m your host, Leila Mireskandari, and in this episode, we’re diving into an important and sometimes controversial question: Should we use plastic to grow food? In This Episode: Why I still use plastic party cups to start seeds in my Oasis...
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39: Humanizing Learning with Thinkering Collective
Send us Fan Mail Are you passionate about transforming education by humanizing learning? If so, this episode is for you! In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, I introduce you to Thinkering Collective—a movement dedicated to empowering students to become changemakers in their communities....
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38: Which Oasis Program is Right for You?
Send us Fan Mail Are you an elementary or middle school teacher eager to grow a thriving classroom or school garden, without extra work outside of class time? In this episode, I break down the four programs in the Oasis Program Series to help you find the best fit for your students, space, and...
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37: School Gardens: Vendor-Led vs. Teacher-Led
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 37 of School Gardens with Ease! In this episode, I dive into a question I often get from teachers and principals: "Can you come in and run the school garden program for us?" My short answer? No. But there’s a deeper reason behind it, and today, I’m sharing why...
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A Smart Approach to Funding Your School Garden
Send us Fan Mail Let's delves into the common misconception that funding and approvals are the primary obstacles to creating a successful school garden. How about some insights on how to make the most of available resources and an emphasis on the importance of a well-connected teaching plan over...
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35: Example Lesson Plan: The 7 Layers of a School Garden Lesson Plan
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain to give you a sneak peek into one of the gardening lesson plans from my OASIS programs. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to seamlessly integrate gardening into your curriculum while engaging your students in a hands-on and...
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34: Let’s Write Those Gardening Lesson Plans (Part 2)
Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to School Gardens with Ease! In this episode, we’re diving into part 2 of writing effective lesson plans for your school garden project. If you haven’t listened to Episode 33 yet, make sure to go back and do that first! It’s packed with essential information on how…
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33: From Garden to Curriculum, Not The Other Way Around!
Send us Fan Mail Today, on the School Gardens with Ease podcast, we’re talking about a crucial part of creating successful school gardens: lesson planning. If you’re new here, one key thing to know is that school gardens should be grown by students, led by teachers, and supported by the…
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32: Teacher Pulling Back the Curtain to Oasis Programs (Part 2)
Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Part 2 of my conversation with Shant, a passionate teacher who has made classroom and school gardening a cornerstone of his teaching practice. In this episode, we dive deeper into Shant’s experience: Transitioning from indoor to outdoor gardening with the Caja…
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31: Teacher Pulling Back the Curtain to Oasis Programs (Part 1)
Send us Fan Mail In this special two-part series, I sit down with Shant, an inspiring grade eight teacher who transformed his classroom with the Oasis Classroom program. Shant Sourian shares his journey from being, a hesitant new teacher, to becoming a passionate advocate for classroom gardening....
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30: It’s Time to Dream a 2025 School Garden
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Final Episode of 2024! In this reflective and inspiring episode, Leila Mireskandari wraps up the year by encouraging you to look back on your school garden journey (or none thereof) in 2024 and dream big for 2025. It’s the perfect time to evaluate what worked, what...
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29: How to Create a Thriving Educational School Garden
Send us Fan Mail Thriving School Gardens don't happen by accident! In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, I’m guiding you through the steps to create an impactful, sustainable, and educational garden at your school. Whether you’re a teacher or a supportive parent, this episode is packed…
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28: Growing School Gardens with Ease – The Shortcut to Success
Send us Fan Mail Looking for a shortcut to an easy school garden? Welcome to Episode 28 of School Gardens with Ease! In this special episode, your host Leila Mireskandari shifts gears to share what’s been on her mind lately—her annual free 70-minute webinar, starting December 1st. This webinar is...
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27: Why Winter Season Matters for School Gardens!
Send us Fan Mail Don't grow whatever whenever! Seasons matter! In this episode of School Gardens with Ease, Leila Mireskandari dives into a crucial aspect of gardening success: timing and seasonal planning. Whether you’re a teacher eager to grow educational gardens or a parent supporting a school...
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26: Outdoor Education, School Gardens, and Finding Common Ground with Author Lauren MacLean
Send us Fan Mail Let's welcome Lauren MacLean, a passionate children's author, educator, and outdoor learning consultant. Lauren’s books, including Me and My Sit Spot and Finding Common Ground, inspire young readers to connect with nature, and her work as an educator brings hands-on outdoor...
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Hugelkultur Magic: The Garden Hack Every Teacher Needs to Know
Send us Fan Mail Build a Resilient School Garden with Hugelkultur! In this episode, Leila shares an innovative and regenerative gardening technique that can make your school garden more resilient, water-conserving, and low-maintenance — hugelkultur! Leila discusses how this permaculture…
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24: Debunking the “Expensive” School Garden Myth
Send us Fan Mail Let's tackles the "Expensive" myth surrounding school gardens: Drawing from over a decade of experience growing school gardens, Leila Mireskandari, reveals why the idea that school gardens are costly is often rooted in misconceptions, and how a well-planned garden can actually be...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Discover how to effortlessly integrate school gardens into your elementary or middle school curriculum with the School Gardens with Ease Podcast. This podcast is your go-to resource for creating flourishing and productive food gardens that provide long-term educational benefits. Learn tips, strategies, and insights to help you grow and maintain a sustainable school garden that enhances your teaching and inspires students for years to come.
HOSTED BY
Leila
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does School Gardens with Ease have?
School Gardens with Ease currently has 74 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is School Gardens with Ease about?
Discover how to effortlessly integrate school gardens into your elementary or middle school curriculum with the School Gardens with Ease Podcast. This podcast is your go-to resource for creating flourishing and productive food gardens that provide long-term educational benefits. Learn tips,...
How often does School Gardens with Ease release new episodes?
School Gardens with Ease has 74 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to School Gardens with Ease?
You can listen to School Gardens with Ease on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts School Gardens with Ease?
School Gardens with Ease is created and hosted by Leila.
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