Botany Garden: Hands-on Learning (20+ Homeschool Resources and a Garden Planner)

An Introduction to Botany Gardening

It’s that time of year again—when trees that have appeared lifeless all winter begin to bud and blossom, when tufts of green grass peep out from patches of lingering snow, when the landscape begins to whisper a change: spring is coming!

Whenever spring is on its way, I get “bit” by the gardening “bug.” The weather is gorgeous in spring here in California’s central valley and if I had nothing else to do, I would probably spend all day outside, pulling weeds, planting seeds, and tending to my somewhat haphazard vegetable garden.

Recently, I’ve spent more time researching things like companion plants as well as what plants grow well in this region—very hot and dry in the summer yet mild and wet(ish?) in the winter. In my research, I came across the phrase “botany garden” or “botanical garden” and the phrase stuck out to me.

What is a botany garden?

A botany garden is a garden designed and cultivated specifically for the study, conservation, and appreciation of plants. It often includes a diverse collection of plant species. They tend to be arranged by category. For instance, medicinal plants, native plants, edible plants, etc.

And it got me thinking how having a botany garden can mean different things depending on its purpose:

For education – For a homeschooling mom, a botany garden can be a great space for learning about plant life cycles, ecosystems, and plant identification, making it a great tool for a homeschool classroom (or in this case, an outdoor classroom).
For conservation – A botany garden can also focus on preserving rare, native, or endangered plant species.
For research – Scientists and students might use it to study plant growth, adaptations, or uses.
For personal enjoyment – It can simply be a well-planned home garden with a variety of interesting plants, particularly those that grow well in whatever region or climate that you live in.

Naturally, every botany garden will look unique, depending on—as I mentioned just above—things like climate, location, space availability, the time that you (and your kids) have to devote to gardening, etc. That said, there’s nothing like gardening to introduce all kinds of practical skills to your kids.

If you need some help in knowing where to start, what to do, and how to use a botany garden as part of your homeschool classroom, the rest of this post is dedicated to providing a variety of practical resources to help you do just that.

Gardening Resources:

The main place where I failed in past years of gardening was my neglect of proper planning. A garden planner is a vital resource for gardens big and small.

Click here to download a Printable Garden Planner.

You may be wondering where to begin with your spring garden. A spring planting list is probably a good place to start: A Spring Planting List

Where good things begin to grow, we’ll always have to deal with critters and pests. You and your kids might do well to learn about these 10 Herbs that Repel Garden Pests. (I’m planting basil, dill, and chives this spring.) The post also offers some ideas about companion planting.

Botany Gardening as a Homeschool Curriculum:

As it’s slowly warming up outside (or quickly, depending on where you live), you may be looking for some quick tips on how to fit homeschool gardening into your school days. Check out the 8 Best Hacks for Homeschool Gardening

Still not sure that you want to take on the hefty responsibility of building a garden with your kids? Here are 4 Reasons to Make Gardening a Part of Your Homeschool.

It’s no secret that I love gardening. It’s probably the only place where I combine physical movement with a dose of vitamin D while doing something productive. Seriously, with the cost of produce these days, growing some of your own food is a terrific idea!)

The garden provides more than food, exercise, and sunshine. It’s a great way to teach your homeschoolers a variety of subjects, including botany, science, and math. Here are 25 Creative Ways to Learn Math in the Garden

In a botany garden, we also have the opportunity to teach young gardeners that we are stewards over the land. It’s our responsibility to care for the plants, which includes protecting them from invading munchers: Teaching Children about Garden Bugs (and Natural Pesticide Recipes)

You might also want to incorporate a relevant Bible study as part of your homeschool gardening journey. Do a deep dive with your kids on words and themes such as gardens, trees, plants, etc. Here’s a terrific review about a great Study Bible for preteen girls.

Here are some great ideas, tips, and resources for teaching botany to your homeschoolers to inspire a lifelong love for plants and nature.

Looking for a botany curriculum? Here are a few options: Homeschool Botany Curriculum Ideas

A mother and son harvesting organic red peppers and tomatoes in a greenhouse garden.

Botany and Plant Life Cycle Resources

Botany is simply defined as “the scientific study of plants, including their physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, classification, and economic importance.” (Oxford Dictionary)

This is something you can introduce your children to at a young age. One way to make plant classification fun and interest-led is with a simple smartphone app. In this post, you can learn about one app that makes it fun and easy to explore plant life: A Simple Way to Make Introducing Plant Classification Fun

As you teach your children about botany, a Botany Notebook or journal of some kind would be a terrific idea, so your homeschoolers can keep track of the things they planted, take notes on how their garden is doing, and jot down ideas for next year! Here’s one Botany Notebooking Bundle

There are plenty of individual plants that you can teach your kids about with life cycle unit studies. Here are several that you might even be planting in your botany garden this year!

Vibrant red apples glistening with dewdrops hang from a branch in a sunlit orchard.

Botany Garden Crafts

When it comes to teaching our kids, hands-on activities are invaluable tools for engaging their young minds. Doing something with their hands helps children foster a deeper understanding of otherwise complex concepts. Of course, getting out there in the garden is an activity in itself, but it’s also fun to augment learning with arts and crafts.

Additionally, not every day is going to be conducive to actually be outside working in the garden. You might have rainy days when you need to stay inside. This is when you’ll want to have a few garden- and plant-themed activities, arts and crafts, and even books.

Here are a few suggestions:

Botany Garden Tools

Before you get started with your botany garden, you’ll want some basic gardening tools so you don’t waste time searching for gloves or a watering can. Here are a few basic tools you should have on hand:

A kids’ garden tool set is a must-have for younger children. They’ll enjoy having tools to use as they work alongside you. They also have the opportunity to learn to be responsible for their personal gardening tools.

Vegetable and herb seeds are a necessity for your homeschooling adventures in the garden. You can get a huge supply of non-GMO seed packets, with over 40 different vegetables and herbs your family can grow.

If growing flowers is more up your alley, you might want to start with a variety of perennial flower seeds. Perennials endure year after year, so you don’t have to start afresh each year. Of course, having some annual flower seeds or a combination of perennials and annuals can be helpful as well, giving your student something to plan out each spring as part of your botany garden.

Gardening buckets will come in handy for transporting soil, fertilizer, or mulch.

Your kids will enjoy having a wagon or mobile gardening caddy for transporting things from one place to another. There are options for young children, wagons that come with gardening tools, as well as sturdy wagons for older students and adults.

If you do plant a garden this year, please share your wins and journey with us by commenting below or joining our active Homeschool Moms Community on Facebook. Happy gardening!