This article reports on two projects: one that investigated the impact of school gardens on primary children's learning and one that is currently exploring the pedagogies involved in teaching children in the garden. The evidence presented suggests that school gardens can be an interesting and effective way of engaging children with learning, but that there is a divide between those teachers who are willing to use the garden in their teaching and those who are not. The article considers the reasons for this and argues that mixed messages about policy relating to learning outside the classroom are a barrier to garden use.