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download
Download the booklet from TroopLeaderHub
Print out the booklet. Cut the pages along the dotted line the in center of the page. Staple on the left side.
meet
Meet with your troop and go through the booklet to meet the minimum requirements of the badge!
Suggestions for Using this Booklet
This guide will help you lead the Girl Scout Troop through the badge.
You'll want to print out the Garden Design booklet for girls to look through.
You may also want to physically visit a garden or pull up a tour online.
Lastly, you will need supplies for planting seeds - seeds, planters/pots, potting soil.
Page 1
Go over general garden information. Have the girls talk about different gardens they know about or have visited.
Page 2
Now talk more about where we can find gardens. Talk about botanical gardens in your area or any plants then girls have at their homes.
Page 3
Visit or do a virtual tour of a garden. Have the girls observe different plants. Then have them draw and describe the plant. Have them think about the plants size, needs such as sun, water and soil, and the plants uses.
Page 4
Next go over different garden designs. Use the supplied Garden Design document and have the girls read about and observe different gardens.
Have them pick a garden type and fill out this page.
Page 5
We know gardens are for different purposes. But what plants would we plant in each type?
Girls can work in groups, assigning each group a type and then share at the end. Of you can have them raise their hand and share.
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This will help when they design a garden later on in this booklet.
Page 6
Not all plants can survive in all climates. The US is very large and has many different climates.
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There are geographical areas called Hardiness Zones. These zones will guide what types of plants can survive in the area. There are 11 zones in the US.
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Google your location to find your Hardiness Zone. As a group list all the different types of plants that can be grown in your Hardiness Zone.
Page 7
Now that you know your zone and the types of plants you can plant, design a garden!
Mix different elements or stick to one design.
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Have the girls think about when they'll plant, the purpose of the garden, and the type of maintenance that will be needed.
Page 8
Start a plant from a seed.
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Supplies needed: cups or seed starters, seeds, potting soil.
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Good seeds to try are:
peas, lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, marigolds, sunflowers, radishes.
Page 9
Now they can track the seeds growth over time. Make sure they understand how much water and sun is needed for the plant to grow.
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They can measure it every week or every few days. Have them experiment with different placements to see which location results in the most growth.