Schoolyards and gardens are busy places. Between students’ staggered recesses and lunch breaks, after-school programs, sports practices, evening events, and the constant foot traffic from teachers and staff, these spaces take a sizable beating.
Understandably, most school administrators prioritise the maintenance of their buildings and classrooms over the upkeep and design of their outdoor areas especially since students spend most of their time indoors.
However, a well-cared-for, thoughtfully landscaped green space can significantly benefit students’ learning experiences. A three-year study undertaken by Colorado University of an elementary learning facility with an extensive green area where children usually play during recess found that student concentration improved, no uncivil behaviour was observed after 700 hours of monitoring, and younger pupils in particular, engaged in more sensory play.
This is to say nothing of the curb appeal such areas create for prospective students and their families during school tours and open houses.
If you’re an administrator or a facilities manager looking to revamp your school gardens, yards and playgrounds, read on for a few ideas on how to do just that and tips for finding the right landscaping company for the job.
Top 4 Landscaping Improvements for Schools
The following are four ways, suitable for almost any budget, to enhance your school outdoor areas for young learners and add value to your grounds:
1. Mulching
Mulching is the process of covering the soil with a layer of organic material like leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, bark, and other natural waste products. You could also use inorganic materials like pebbles, rock chips, or pulverised rubber.
An annual layer of mulch around trees, bushes, and flower beds does so much for the health of the soil. It helps retain moisture, prevent erosion, and suppress weeds, and when it decomposes over time, it becomes a natural fertiliser for the plants.
You can do this by breaking up the existing layers of compacted soil using a rake or tiller and then spreading the mulch evenly all around. Remember to keep its thickness to at least two to four inches from the base of trees and shrubs to allow for better water and air circulation.
2. Aeration and Overseeding
Heavy foot traffic, students scurrying to and from their classes, and playing and running around during recess can quickly turn a lush green lawn into a compacted, barren area.
Hardened soil makes it difficult for moisture, air and nutrients to penetrate the roots. Over time, excessive thatches, which are a layer of living and dead stems, roots and debris that develop between the green vegetation and soil surface, start forming. This makes the lawn even more susceptible to pests, weeds and diseases, and prevents seeds from germinating and growing.
When this happens, the best course of action is to aerate and overseed. Aeration entails using a machine to poke small holes into the soil, enabling water and nutrients to move easily to the roots. Once that’s done, you can overseed, a process which involves spreading grass seeds over bare or thin lawn areas.
These tasks may seem small, but they can make a world of difference to an unhealthy, damaged lawn.
3. Adding Seasonal Colour
Incorporating seasonal plants and flowers is a great way to add flashes of colour around your school building, sports facilities, playgrounds and entranceways. This could be as simple as growing flowers in containers and positioning them along the walkways or windowsills. Or you could construct a flower bed and plant a few flowering trees and shrubs that bloom at different times of the year.
When selecting plant and flower species, however, ensure they’re suitable for the local climate and soil conditions. For example, in Dubai winters, cyclamen, witch hazel, hellebores, and camellia are all known to thrive. In spring, you could opt for perennials like bougainvillaea, desert marigold or Ixora.
4. Using Container Plants
Container plants are more versatile than most people think. They can work especially well in schools since they can be easily moved around, take up minimal space, afford more variety in terms of plant choice, are less susceptible to weeds and pests, and require little maintenance.
You can grow them in pots you can put on desks, table tops or bookshelves, and let students take turns tending to them. Or you can place them in the hallways or outside the school building on benches, railings, hanging baskets, or raised beds.
You can also use them as decorations for any event or celebration happening on campus at different times of the year, like graduation ceremonies, PTA meetings and open houses.
How To Find a Reliable Landscaping Company
Depending on the size of your school grounds, your budget and the state of your current landscape, you might decide to take on these improvements yourself or outsource the entire project to a commercial landscaping firm. Should you choose the latter, here are three things to consider when comparing potential landscaping firms:
Scope of Services
Landscaping company offerings vary greatly. In your search for the right partner, you want to think about the type of outdoor work you have in mind for your school and aim for firms that specialise in those areas.
To give you an idea, a vendor with a comprehensive scope of green landscaping services for commercial properties may include the following in their portfolio:
• Landscape Maintenance: Mowing, weeding, edging, pruning and trimming, turf and ornamental care and seasonal colour rotations.
• Landscape Design: Performing site evaluations and creating plans to highlight focal areas.
• Landscape Construction: Planting, water feature and turf installation, drainage, erosion control and retaining walls.
• Lighting and Irrigation: Installation, repair and upgrades, maintenance and recommendations for efficient water use.
• Landscape Improvements: Redesign critical points and add seasonal colour displays, artificial plants, or green walls.
Years in Business
Companies with decades of experience in the landscaping field are much more likely to offer top-quality work, customised solutions and quicker turnarounds. They’re also bound to have the necessary industrial-grade equipment, technology and skilled staff to handle any type of work, as well as an extensive client portfolio to show for it.
Clear Expectations and Regular Contact
Taking the time to talk through your project expectations, timelines and budget and keeping constant communication with you throughout the initial planning phase, project execution and aftercare support are clear signs of a proactive partner who’s invested in your project's success.
Bring New Life to Your School Landscape
Infusing greenery into your school grounds can have a positive, long-term impact on everyone, from students and staff to parents and visitors.
Use these tips and recommendations to transform your outdoor space into a lively and inviting place that gives back to the environment and your school community.