CASE STUDY: TAKING GROWING YOUR OWN TO ANOTHER LEVEL

As farmers ourselves, we are passionate about encouraging children to grow their own produce. Why? Because it reconnects them with nature and with the food they eat. We believe it also gives them the confidence to try new foods and to make healthy food choices, something we hope they will take into adulthood.

One of our schools has truly embraced the art of growing their own. It was a joy to visit Kirton Primary School and learn all about their fantastic growing projects.

Almost a year ago, Kirton Primary School had a complete transformation of their outdoor learning environment including two superb new greenhouses.

The Tropical Greenhouse

The heat of the Tropical Greenhouse hits you as soon as you enter, never going below 28 degrees. The banana tree stands in the centre of the greenhouse and is growing well. The pineapple tree has grown from planting the cut off top of a pineapple and looks amazing. There is music and animal sounds and Year 6 have done a fantastic topic on the rainforest, learning all about where in the world all the plants come from and the conditions that they grow in, in their natural habitat.

The Mediterranean Greenhouse

The beautiful smell from the rosemary bush fills the Mediterranean Greenhouse. Cooler than the Tropical, the Mediterranean Greenhouse temperature can go down to as low as 6 degrees in winter, replicating the true climate of the Mediterranean. The greenhouse is beautifully decorated with brightly coloured mosaics, that the children have designed and created themselves. It homes a lemon tree, olive bush, grape vine and fig tree, all of which have had a harvest this year and the children have used their grown fruit to produce items which they have then gone on to sell in their school shop.

Daily watering is required, and all the staff and the children are involved and take turns to do this. The school have had fantastic help, support and advice with which plants will grow best in the different areas of the garden from the wonderful staff at Baytree Garden Centre.

You reap what you sow

In the outdoor section there are raised flower beds and a vegetable garden in which the children are growing fruit and vegetables – tomatoes, peas, carrots and strawberries. The pond plays host to all sorts of wildlife, including lots of frogs, which do sometimes need rescuing from the field and putting back where they belong.

The Flutter Flower Garden has lots of plants that encourage the bees, butterflies and other insects, while the sensory garden encourages the children to touch the different plants and flowers, smell them and listen to the sounds they make when the wind blows.

Good for your (mental) health

All of this creates a beautiful calm area that promotes wellbeing amongst the children and provides a stimulus for their creative writing and art work. Importantly, it also teaching them to work together and encourages all the different aspects of learning.

A new addition to the garden is the Alpine Rockery. We are looking forward to seeing how this is progressing on my next visit.

And if you look very, very carefully you might see the tiny Fairies that live in the big tree with the twinkling lights on coming and going through their tiny door…..

If you would like to find out more about the growing competitions we run and the food and farming days we offer, please do get in touch.