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Welcome back to School Gardens with Ease! I’m your host, Leila Mireskandari, and in this episode, we’re tackling a question that comes up a lot around this time of year:

👉 How much cleanup does a school garden really need in the summer?

If you’re a bit of a clean freak when it comes to your school garden—or you’re feeling overwhelmed by summer maintenance—this episode is for you.

We’ll explore:

• The difference between necessary and unnecessary cleaning
• Why a productive vegetable garden isn’t always a neat one
• How to balance structure with nature’s wild beauty
• What cleanup tasks actually matter
• Why you shouldn't lock your school garden up for the summer
• How to design a low-maintenance garden that thrives even when school’s out

🌿 Spoiler: The best gardens work with nature, not against it. And yes—you can have a thriving garden with almost no summer maintenance.

🎓 Want to go deeper? In my class "School Gardens with Almost No Summer Maintenance," I teach everything you need to know to build and grow your garden with your students during the school year—so summer takes care of itself.

🔗 Click here to learn more about the class