Johnson County Junior Master Gardeners Grow School Gardens and Community
Back-to-school season is upon us. For the Extension Master Gardeners, it means that Johnson County’s Junior Master Gardeners are back outside working in their school gardens. There are currently 7 schools where Extension Master Gardeners are teaching kids about gardening for vegetables, flowers, and pollinators. Sounds like a great program, however, there are challenges that most people don’t even think about when asking to put in a garden at a school.
The growing season in Kansas is approximately March/April to October/November (depending on the year). The school year is from August to May. While there is some overlap, there is considerable time that these gardens are not being used for teaching. There are even some weeks in the summer when no one is even at the school. So, who takes care of the gardens in the summer months? Luckily, our Master Gardeners have worked out agreements that lead to amicable solutions.
Most of the schools with a JMG garden are located right next to the building. In a scenario like this, the school often offers help with watering, either by the custodians or the program's teacher sponsor. When gardens are not near the main building, the Master Gardeners step in. Volunteers will visit the gardens to pull weeds, water beds, and sometimes harvest produce.
These partnerships with the schools work because of the commitment from both parties to provide learning opportunities to the youth. Even the Parent Teacher Organizations have participated in advancing this program. Sometimes a parent will join the class for the day to offer support. There are even arrangements with the PTO parents to water the gardens during the summer.
Even with overwhelming support from the school, parents, and the master gardeners, there are still challenges. The JMG program in Johnson County Schools has been in place for 20 years at some schools. These gardens are well-established and have served multiple functions over the years, with the overall goal of teaching youth. With time comes the hard work of removing weeds, plants that need drastic pruning, and even plants that no longer fit the purpose. Workdays with a large volunteer labor force may be needed, further calling on the community's good graces.
Sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but in the end, these spaces will contribute to the overall beautification of the school while providing an outdoor classroom that connects kids with nature. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and the Junior Master Gardener Program continues to foster the growth of so many villages across the county.
by Markis Hill, Horticulture Ornamentals and Turf Agent, 2026