If you get in touch with your local cooperative extension and the master gardeners associated with it you'll find people with plants and expertise to share.

Winter sowing native seeds will help stretch your dollars as well.

Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation By Donald J. Leopold is a favorite book of mine.

Be sure to check out Prairie Moon Nursery as well. LOTS of seeds, plants, and info.

FataMorgana

What is your site like? With a school garden, I would think you would want low-maintenance and rugged plants.

I've winter-sown many native perennials, vines and a few trees and shrubs and this works extremely well, and is very easy and inexpensive. In fall of 2009 I collected seeds like Cornus florida and Cornus amomum, sowed them in December, put them outside, and had abundant germination! In fact, the dilemma for me is that it's much easier to start plants from seed than it is to figure out where to plant them, esp. woody plants which need a permanent location with the appropriate amount of space allotted.

I've also purchased native tree/shrub seedlings from the NH State nursery, which sells wonderful plants in packs of 10 for $10 (a buck apiece, can't beat that). There is probably an inexpensive source of seedlings closer to MI if it's important to get local stock.

If you want to start planting next Spring, then it would be good to place orders for seedlings or start sowing this winter. Most hardy perennials and woody plants need at least 1-3 months of cold stratification. Feel free to email me through GW email, and I would be happy to share seeds for the project.

xplant: I live in S.E. Michigan also. You can get seeds free by participating in native plat seed collecting at various places in S. Michigan at this time of year. Find out whether the Douglas Evans preservation near you does one. There is also a fine large restoration -- I've forgotten its name unfortuately -- in Lapeer County, where they collect in October or November on a Saturday or Sunday. You go up I-75 to the Lapper Road, then turn off the Lapeer Road down the Dryden Ropad, and the turn-off to the nature center is just before you get to Dryden. And you can ask the MSU Extension Service in Pontiac if they have a calendar of seed gathering dates around the county. As to suitable habitat: if you have a full-sun area -- prairie plants, if you have trees -- sring ephemeras, if you have a wet patch -- a long list of wildflowers that like to have their feet wet, and if you have all three -- you can have them all! And the CN railway might have lots of asters and goldenrods along the right-of-way, if you have someone who can point out the worthwhile ones. Regards, Peter.

Our kids' elementary put in a garden a several years ago and received a grant that covered much of the expense for plants, edging, mulch, and more. It's considered an "outdoor classroom". Be sure to search for available grants to help with the cost.

Winter sowing might be a fun learning project for the kids to do this winter. You sow seeds in containers (like milkjugs) and set them outside all winter, then they germinate in the spring. For more information, check out the Winter Sowing forum on Gardenweb. Lots of nice folks there that might have some seeds to share.

Be sure to plan some weeding and watering over summer when school is out.

xplant2mi: The Seven Ponds Seed Collection is on Sunday November 7 at 2:00 p.m. They let you collect your own seed, show you which plant is which, and tell you a bit about planting wildflower seeds. These are just prairie species. I plan to attend; I live in Birmingham MI, so if you need a lift please let me know. Regards, Peter.

You might consider applying to the Wildflower Association of Michigan for a grant to assist with funding.
Also, I organize a plant "swap" every spring with friends and coworkers. I have lots of natives and usually end up gifting rather than swapping because my beds are full. I'd be happy to have you come over and dig divisions and seedlings if you want to make a road trip, but you may find someone closer. I'm in Mason, MI. The swap is usually in May, but I start potting up my contributions as early as March.

Mary

Hi, Mary!

Xplant,
I could provide seeds and divisions of quite a few plants, too. And the suggestions about wintersowing can't be repeated enough. Let me know if I can help.

Martha