Gardens of Learning: Demonstration Gardens As Teaching Tools In Extension Horticulture Programs

Through non formal educational programs, Cooperative Extension seeks to provide effective lifelong learning experiences that improve the land, economies, and lives of North Carolina’s residents and communities. Extension horticulture agents often incorporate demonstration gardens into their programming, yet little research has been conducted into how demonstration gardens can best be utilized or the challenges and benefits they present to Extension programming. Employing a two part survey, this descriptive study investigated how North Carolina horticulture Extension agents utilize demonstration gardens in their programming, the characteristics of these gardens, and the perceived benefits and challenges of utilizing gardens for Extension programming. It was determined that agents develop gardens primarily to enhance their non-formal education efforts, enable self-directed learning, engage volunteers, and build partnerships. The majority of gardens developed by North Carolina agents are less than one half acre in size, include both edible and ornamental plantings, and are heavily supported by volunteers. Though many agents were found to be fully utilizing gardens to enhance non-formal education, few were fully employing practices that enable self-directed learning, or evaluating the garden’s outcomes and impacts. Agents perceived the greatest benefits of gardens to be their efficacy as an educational delivery method, their ability to enhance the overall program, and their capacity to provide opportunities for meaningful volunteer service and to facilitate the development of partnerships. The greatest challenges of incorporating gardens into Extension programming were perceived to be availability of time, money, and volunteer support. It was concluded that demonstration gardens are an appropriate and effective educational delivery method for Extension programming. When developing gardens, special emphasis should be given to involving and investing volunteers. Additional recommendations are to integrate the garden into the entire Extension program, to employ multiple practices to enhance self-directed learning, and to develop a framework for evaluation that captures the garden’s full impact.