While you can start a classroom garden for under $20 using household or recycled items for planters, this guide recommends using the Tower Garden as the best way to succeed with your garden.

Below is a list of what you'll need to grow a garden in your classroom:

First, consult with school administrators to see if there's room in the budget for funding. There may also be grants or community-funded programs that could assist you in purchasing necessary equipment and tools. Try to engage administrators and government funding programs as early as possible to help offset the cost of setting up the garden, and minimize the up front investment in the garden. In most cases, this will mean talking with these groups well before the start of the school year.

Once you've engaged administrators and other community or government groups, the next step is to see if parents are able to contribute some funding for the project. If you decide to ask parents for financial assistance, we recommend preparing a complete information package to send home with students so parents understand what they're investing in, and know how to contribute. For some parents, volunteering might be easier than contributing financially.

You might also want to consider holding a fundraiser to engage students, colleagues and other community members in your classroom garden project. If you decide to hold a fundraiser, you may want to make it food-based, like a bake sale or pizza lunch. Fundraisers can be a great way for students to bond with each other, and to engage with the larger community.

If you decide to crowdsource your fundraising efforts, consider using a site like GoFundMe to create a fundraising campaign for your garden.