1. home and garden

Sample Garden Budget Worksheet
This worksheet should help you generate a list of materials, and their associated cost, for developing a
garden to complement this curriculum. Listed prices are rough figures; confirm the actual price with the
source before you purchase anything. Use this budget to present to funders or include in grant applications.
Container Garden
Item
Number required
Cost per item
Containers with
drainage holes (various
sizes—1quart-5gallon)
FREE (get 5-gallon
buckets from food
stores!) OR up to $10.00
each
Potting soil
$4.00/16 quart bag
Organic fertilizer
$6.00/5 lb bag
Seeds
FREE (request last
year’s seeds from seed
companies) OR $2.00/
packet
Seedlings
$3.00 each
Hand trowels
$3.00 each
Gloves
$2.00/pair
Watering cans
$6.00 each
Grand total:
v
Total cost
Sample Garden Budget Worksheet
This worksheet should help you generate a list of materials, and their associated cost, for developing a
garden to complement this curriculum. Listed prices are rough figures; confirm the actual price with the
source before you purchase anything. Use this budget to present to funders or include in grant applications.
In-ground Garden
Item
Number required
Cost per item
Total cost
Soil test (Standard soil
test w/ organic matter UMASS Soil Testing Lab)
1 (every 3 years)
$15.00
$15.00 + shipping
Leaf compost
$5.00/ 1.5 cubic feet
Untreated wood for
raised beds—2x6’s or
2x8’s; shortest side
3’ long
Dimensional lumber
prices vary. Check with
your local lumber yard
Topsoil
$2.50/40 lb. bag or $50/
cubic yard + delivery
Seeds
$2.00/packet
Transplants
Garden Rakes
Shovels
$3.00 each
No more than 2
$10.00 each or borrow as
needed
No more than 3
$10.00 each or borrow as
needed
Hand trowels
$3.00 each
Gloves
$2.00/pair
Hose
$15.00 (50 foot)
Watering wand
$5.00 each
Watering cans
$6.00 each
Grand total:
vi
Sample Garden Budget Worksheet
This worksheet should help you generate a list of materials, and their associated cost, for developing a
garden to complement this curriculum. Listed prices are rough figures; confirm the actual price with the
source before you purchase anything. Use this budget to present to funders or include in grant applications.
In-ground Garden
Item
Number required
Cost per item
PVC pipe and fittings to
build light stand
$20
Florescent shop light
with bulbs
$20
Growing containers
FREE (if using milk jugs)
or up to $5 per pot
Potting soil
2 quarts per each milk
jug, or quantity needed
for your chosen containers
$4.00/16 quart bag
Organic fertilizer
$6.00/5 lb bag
Seeds
$2.00/packet
Gloves
$2.00/pair
Watering cans
$6.00 each
Grand total:
vii
Total cost
Youth Gardening Program Planning Document
Use this document to organize your ideas, inventory your resources and assess your needs in developing
your gardening program. Engage other teachers / staff / volunteers at your site in the process.
viii
Building A Youth Garden Team
Do you have commitment or buy in from all necessary stakeholders? Who needs more information to be persuaded? What types of information
should you present to them?
Which of the stakeholders are going to part of your gardening team?
Who is going to lead this team?
Who in this team needs training? What type of training?
How is that training going to happen?
Who is deciding the goals and activities of the garden?
Who will provide gardening expertise?
Who will be teaching the educational content of the gardening program?
Where will you get the labor to build the garden?
How many volunteers do you need to recruit?
How will you establish clear lines of communication around the garden?
Appendix
ix
Defining Your Program
Who is your target audience?
• Age range?
• Specific demographics? (low income, special needs, etc.)
• How many students will be using the garden?
Describe the site:
• In school
• After school
• Summer
During what months will your program run?
When will gardening occur?
When will programming (lessons, etc.) occur? How often?
What are YOUR goals for the program?
What are the goals of the SITE?
How do your goals and the goals of the site intersect?
Appendix
What type of garden will you have?
• Raised beds,
• in ground,
• containers
How big will your garden be?
How many beds/pots?
What size beds/pots?
Is this an appropriate size to meet your goals?
Where will your garden be located? Does this location have:
• Sunlight
• Easy access for students, staff, and volunteers
• Water
What plants have you had success growing in the past?
What crops meet your curricular needs?
x
The Garden Design
Do you have a garden plan? This should include a map of your space(s),
planting layouts for the season (where and how much you will plant), a
planting schedule, and a maintenance plan.
Who will you contact for assistance to create this plan?
Who will plant the garden?
Who will maintain the garden (watering, weeding)?
How will summer maintenance and harvesting occur (for school gardens)?
How will produce from the garden be used?
Appendix
___ fencing
___ lumber for raised beds
___ containers
___ soil compost, and amendments
___ mulch
___ tools
___ seeds, seedlings
___ watering supplies
___ harvesting equipment
___ food preparation and serving materials
___ other
Physical Resources
Keeping your goals in mind, what materials do you need to build, expand or
better use your garden?
Which items can be obtained from:
• Donations
• Municipal Resources
• Borrowing
For items you will purchase, where will you get the funds? • Donations (from garden clubs, community businesses)?
• Small grants? (list any you anticipate applying for)
How much money do you need for startup costs?
___ curricular / educational materials
___ food preparation and serving materials
Where will tools and other materials be stored?
Is this accessible to the people who will be maintaining the garden?
What materials do you need that can be paid for with FSNE / EFNEP /
4H funds?
___ mulch
___ seeds, seedlings
___ fertilizer or compost
xi
What materials do you need each year to maintain the garden?
Which can be obtained through donations?
Appendix
Are you currently using a gardening curriculum?
If yes, list curriculum(s) and source(s).
Educational Resources
Do you feel that the curriculums you have available to you will allow you to
adequately meet the educational goals of your program?
What other content/resources do you need to identify in order to reach
your educational goals in the garden?
xii
Evaluation
Revisit the goals for your gardening program listed in the first section.
List specific, measurable indicators that you will use to assess your success
in meeting your goal(s).
How will you collect data on the above indicators?
Appendix