About the Garden

Set at the park’s Historic Homestead, the PHP Children’s Vegetable Garden is a place for children 5 to 14 years old to get their hands dirty as they learn every aspect of gardening, from planting to harvesting. 

With the help of volunteers from the Bexar County Master Gardeners, the students begin the morning each Tuesday with a hands-on activity in the garden, followed by a related lesson. Children have fun gardening while learning about teamwork, agricultural commodities, nutrition, and how to be good land stewards.

What to Expect 

• Demonstration lessons showing planting techniques and sharing tips for successful growing vegetables.

• Hands-on gardening time for your children to plant, water, fertilize, weed and harvest.

• Educational sessions in our outdoor classroom with lessons for your children on horticulture, nutrition, natural science, and journaling.

• "Walk-the-plot" time with a Master Gardener volunteer to ensure that you are on track for a successful growing season.

Garden Expectations

This popular gardening program typically has more families trying to enroll than we have space to accommodate. Families get the most out of the program when they fully participate. 

Before registering, please consider whether your family can fully commit to the following expectations. If not, we ask that you wait for another season.

• Participants should (1) be on time every Tuesday by 9 a.m., (2) participate in all hands-on demonstrations, (3) attend all lessons, and (4) notify leaders of any absences before class.

• A parent/guardian/adult must attend and be available to help their child/children each Tuesday.  

• Parents and guardians are expected to assist children in the garden.

Fall 2026 Class

Join us for the Children’s Vegetable Garden at Phil Hardberger Park! Set at the park’s Historic Homestead, the PHP Children’s Vegetable Garden is a place for children 5 to 14 years old to get their hands dirty as they learn every aspect of gardening, from planting to harvesting. Space is limited, so please register soon.

Dates: Tuesdays starting 25 August and ending 1 December

Time: 9a-11a

Location: Children's Vegetable Garden at the Historic Voelcker Homestead.

Cost: $75

Registration for Fall 2026 opens Saturday, 25 July, at 6am.

Participation Waiver

All participants in the garden are asked to complete this waiver before attending the first class of the Children’s Vegetable Garden: https://forms.office.com/g/Kphtp2FZBv