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I taught in a primary school for 26 years before becoming an ICT consultant employed by a Local Authority.
My interest in school gardening combines my professional experiences and the fact that I currently garden five allotment plots and a garden. I also have a keen interest in wildlife.
My interest in school gardening combines my professional experiences and the fact that I currently garden five allotment plots and a garden. I also have a keen interest in wildlife.
This website aims to support schools in the creation of their school gardens. It aims to gather access to as much information and advice as possible in one place including links to other useful websites. The aim is to cut down on the amount of time teachers spend searching for information.
Although when setting up this site my focus was on gardening in schools, much of the information provided would be of equal value to others including parents gardening with their own children.
Adults new to gardening will also find much information appropriate to their need.
Although when setting up this site my focus was on gardening in schools, much of the information provided would be of equal value to others including parents gardening with their own children.
Adults new to gardening will also find much information appropriate to their need.
The curriculum links section provides a wealth of ideas for how a gardening project can support other areas of the wider school curriculum .
Many schools recognise the value of introducing their pupils to gardening and the production of fruit and vegetables. This is not only becoming a very popular 'extra' curricula' activity, but with an increase in the interest of teaching through a thematic approach, school gardening projects are set to become very popular. Not only do children become more aware of how their fruit and vegetables are produced but they are also more likely to want to eat crops that they have grown themselves. Many schools take this a step further by teaching the children how to cook the crops that they harvest.
NB: With any activity that involves contact with soil there is a danger of being infected by tetanus it is therefore important that everyone involved in gardening activities has up to date tetanus protection.
NB: With any activity that involves contact with soil there is a danger of being infected by tetanus it is therefore important that everyone involved in gardening activities has up to date tetanus protection.
The planning and equipping section gives advice on setting up your vegetable patch, choosing equipment and buildings and tips on how to raise funding for your garden project. As well as providing useful tips for gardening with children
The choosing what to grow section takes into account the restraints that the school calendar places on gardening. It gives advice on which fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs and shrubs are most likely to provide a successful outcome with advice on when to sow, plant and harvest
The gardening techniques sections gives simple explanation of some of the most common garden techniques. If you feel something is missing then email me and I’ll see what I can do!
The gardening calendar takes into account the restraints of gardening to the school calendar and list activities and gardening related tasks that can be carried out each month
There are four resources to support vegetable growing, The Onion Family, The Brassica Family, Peas and Beans and Root Vegetables. Each explains the life cycle of plants within that family. Each life cycle is illustrated using high quality photographs and includes sowing and growing information.
A Smart whiteboard file is available for use with each of the above resources
A Smart whiteboard file is available for use with each of the above resources
The Flowering Plants resource covers:
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recognition and an understanding of the purpose of the parts of a green plant and a flower
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the requirements that a green plant has to ensure healthy growth
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animations showing the processes of photosynthesis, germination, pollination and the various methods through which seeds are dispersed
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an understanding that there are different groups of flowering plants
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an understanding that plants grow in different environments and how they adapt to suit specific environments
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an understanding on the importance of green plants and what they provide
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The garden equipment section links out to one of my other websites and provides fairly comprehensive information about the sort of equipment that is available to support gardeners. The pages give explanations of the types of equipment available in various categories and also provides links to where the equipment can be purchased. The links are to companies that I am affiliated to and I receive a small commission for sales generated from these pages. This commission supports the maintenance of this website and its grown-up sister.
This section is only possible because some schools have been kind enough to share their school gardening activities.
If your school has a vegetable patch and you would like to share some information and photos to celebrate your achievements then email them to me by clicking here.
Not only does sharing your gardening project with others offer support to those just beginning such a project but this type of sharing activity can give the children the chance to have their work published to a wider audience and in so doing enhance a literacy project.
If your school has a vegetable patch and you would like to share some information and photos to celebrate your achievements then email them to me by clicking here.
Not only does sharing your gardening project with others offer support to those just beginning such a project but this type of sharing activity can give the children the chance to have their work published to a wider audience and in so doing enhance a literacy project.
If you can provide an article to include in he example gardens section just send me some photographs of your garden or plot and text produced by either the children or an adult. You could also include information about what is being grown and what the children like about 'growing their own'. For instance has it changed how they feel about vegetables?
INTERNET SAFETY:
Please do not include photographs of children without having parental and the child's permission and also make sure children do not identify themselves in their writing - just get them to use their first name.
It is the school’s responsibility to receive any necessary permissions required in order to publish any photographs or information on this site
It is the school’s responsibility to receive any necessary permissions required in order to publish any photographs or information on this site
Do you know of any gardening organisations that offer funding to support school gardening projects or any other support that schools can tap into when setting up or maintaining a school garden area? If you do please email me and I will add the information to this page. Let's work together to try and help schools get started!
HELP SPREAD THE WORD - DO YOU HAVE A WEBSITE OR BLOG?
I'd like as many schools as possible to be able to take advantage of the information on this website but Google will prioritise sites with the most number of links from other websites. Can you help by posting a link to this page on your website or blog? (that is of course if you have found the site to be useful!) Also if you know of anyone who has previously used this website would you please spread the word that the site address has changed.
Additionally if you have a school website that has photographs or information about your school vegetable plot, I would love to include a link on the page set aside for school garden examples. Schools seem to be very shy of sharing their efforts - remember it is just as valuable to share what went wrong!
Additionally if you have a school website that has photographs or information about your school vegetable plot, I would love to include a link on the page set aside for school garden examples. Schools seem to be very shy of sharing their efforts -
Schools may restrict their gardening to after school activities, however, increasingly 'the school vegetable patch' is embedded into the curriculum. Developing a school garden can provide a focus for activities in many areas of the curriculum. Along with the practical gardening skills that the children will learn are opportunities for learning about plant growth and food chains in science. Maths activities can be linked to the construction of raised beds, plant supports and calculating the number of plants to be grown in a given area. There are countless opportunities for literacy and art activities as well as opportunities in design technology, history and geography.
Choosing garden buildings gives advice on what you should consider when buying a greenhouse or shed specifically for a school environment.
It should be read in conjunction with this page on my gardening website which deals generally with choosing a garden building.
It should be read in conjunction with this page on my gardening website which deals generally with choosing a garden building.
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