As more schools incorporate learning gardens into their campuses to help educate school children on nutrition (Parmer and Stuempler, 2009), connect students to nature (Bucher, 2017), and grow healthy food; there is a need to better understand how the physical design and components of the garden facilitate the use and programming of the gardens for teaching. There is little research on how the physical characteristics of a garden influence those benefits and challenges. This study seeks to assess the usefulness of an intentionally designed garden typology that has been implemented at three different school sites. By documenting the differences between the three gardens and surveying faculty and staff, the study identifies how the gardens and their components are used by teachers. The results indicate that the intentionally designed gardens are used for many purposes, have successful seating components, and reduce overall maintenance for teachers responsible for the gardens.

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Food insecurity refers to the lack of reliable access to nutritious and affordable foods for people of all backgrounds (Meenar and Hoover, 2012) and is a problem faced by approximately 50 million Americans (Smith, 2011) and thirteen percent of North Carolina households. Food security and poverty have been directly linked and North Carolina's poverty rate (14.3%) is above the national level (13%) (Curtis, 2010). Community gardens have been recognized globally by many experts including health professionals, community organizers, environmental activists, and policymakers, as an "important contributor to economic development, food security, and environmental management"(Baker, 2004). Together, these professionals use gardens as a means to educate the public about food production and nutrition. Empirical research has documented many community garden benefits, however, the examination of educational programs associated with these gardens is limited. The purpose of this case study was to examine the development and implementation of a beginner gardening program and its influence on program participants in an area known to be food insecure within North Carolina. The researcher utilized multiple means of qualitative methods including: 1) semi-structured pre- and post- interviews with program coordinators and participants, 2) content analysis, 3) a reflection journal used to observe the program, and the facilitation of a 4) focus group with program participants. The findings revealed the challenges program coordinators encountered throughout the development and implementation, as well as the effects of the beginner gardening program on program participants. / Master of Science in Life Sciences