When you're starting out, you don't necessarily want to grow the vegetables that you know your students will want to eat; rather, grow vegetables, flowers, and other plants that have the best chance of survival. (Let's be honest, it would be a little demotivating for students if right out of the gate their crops failed). By choosing fail-proof crops you'll get started on the right foot and your students will be more likely to stay engaged. Plus, rather than just growing plants that your students are familiar with, why not expand their horizons a little, and introduce them to the beauty of a brussels sprout or the sliminess of a succulent?

Below are a few tips and tricks that will help you decide which plants you want to grow. These notes apply to both Tower Garden and soil-based projects.

• Some plants are no brainers, like lettuces and leafy greens, all of which are almost impossible to fail and they grow quickly. (Beans and peas are awesome too).
• Stephen recommends growing herbs in classrooms, because not only do they smell wonderful, they also grow quickly and abundantly. Herbs are a great way to add life (and taste) to the meals you and your students will prepare with all your amazing, "school-grown" vegetables, so that's another bonus.
• Wheat grass is amazing because you can literally see it grow daily, measure that growth, cut it back, blend or juice it, and then away you go!
• Don't forget about flowers! Flowers have the ability to add color and life to the classroom, plus they provide great learning opportunities to teach students about things like photosynthesis or plant reproductive systems. You might even consider growing edible flowers like nasturtiums!
• The Tower Garden will grow most plants, flowers, vegetables and fruits. It unfortunately does not grow: Root vegetables, grapevines, bushes or trees.