School Gardening Club

[4pygmies]

Here are the first pictures of my soon to be made wildlife garden. The concrete pad will house three raised hexagonal dipping ponds, the largest of which is approx 60" in diameter. There is a large crab apple tree covered in ivy to the right in the top image. The area is about 70'X50' I think..







I am planning to include the usual things like bird feeders, log piles and an overwintering habitat tower (I'd like to copy that pallet one LottieLady posted a piccy of ages ago) and I'm really hoping I can afford a bird box with a hidden camera. There is already a good selection of grasses and some wild flowers. This Spring I'm sowing Foxgloves, Meadow Cranesbill, Scabious and OxEye Daisies amongst others with the kids.
PLEASE feel free to offer any ideas - I am very grateful for all suggestions. Cheers!

[Susie Snowdrop]

That looks fabulous 4P...................can't wait to see the progress pictures! The kids are sooooo lucky to have you!

S x

P.S. Don't forget that foxgloves are poisonous

[Chuckles]

Lovely area 4P, wil put thinking cap on

[Deleted]

Can't offer any advice, but just wanted to say how much I admire you! Good luck with the project!

[4pygmies]

I know I'm wonderful!! I need ideas though Rosemother......
I know about foxgloves SS but I'm saving them for a REALLY nasty child........ Here's another view to give you some idea of scale

[Deleted]

Look forward to seeing your progress 4P. It must be so satisfying to see it all starting to take shape. Well done.

[roxann57]

Great project 4P, how about a nectar bar for all the insects.

[owainglyndwr]

Hi 4P

It's going to look great and the kids will love it. Respect to you for volunteering.

My local Primary school has had a gardening club for 4yrs and they grow Willow trees. Then they harvest them and show the kids how to weave baskets etc

I'll send one of the kids to the school garden to take some pics

[skarloey]

Hi 4P, how ya doin'? (that's for the tough time you've had recently.)

Without a doubt it's going to look great but I was wondering, is there anything in particular that you need flower/plant wise as I suspect most of us sow too much so leftovers could be offered your way.

[4pygmies]

Morning all - thanks Skarloey! And thanks for everyone's encouragement. Hmm, nectar bar - good idea - I could get the kids to research which plants are best. Willow - ooh, I'd love to but I have a very careful headteacher - I have plans for a willow tunnel somewhere eventually but I have to get rid of a football pitch first......... I did visit our local "green" centre in Swaffham to see if anyone could help me learn to weave but the slightly peculiar bloke in the garden shed I asked was a bit too keen on teaching all "those lovely young mothers" (he didn't mean me... ) so I decided not to! As for flowers, it's a good thought, thanks, but I need native plants at the moment which I'm hoping we can get to germinate with the kids. When/if they don't (some can be tricky strangely - you'd think they be easiest, wouldn't you?) I shall put out an alarm call please!

[Plocket]

Excellent 4P - keep us posted with progress.

[Susie Snowdrop]

I visited a local school last year and planted up a small lavender maze for them! They loved walking through it and had a tick list of things they saw...........butterflies, bees etc!

Oh yes, thought you could plant a lovely yew hedge around the site and plant the foxgloves in front of it

S x

[oldmoleskins]

4P I've got a load of buddlehia cuttings 'on the go' at the moment - easy to post while small, any use for butterfly attractors?

OM.

[4pygmies]

Ooh, that'd be brilliant OM - yes please. That could form a shrubby background to the nectar bar. Thanks very much. If I plant some alongside the fence the kids would have a really good view of the butterflies. While I'm on this thread, has anyone got any experience of bird box cameras? Could I pick your brains, if so, about the best one to get?

[Barbara]

why not write to the beeb, they could advise you
they might send bill oddie to help
it would make a great tv programme
barbara

are you doing bluebells
i can send loads

[Deleted]

Hi 4P saw this and thought of you....unfortunately the free kit date is past but there's lots of info.

www.potatoesforschools.org.uk/

[4pygmies]

Here are some more areas I am claiming for gardening club (can't touch the sports field but next year...hehehehe.... ). This area is next to the wildlife area and is the entry into school for the kids. The concrete area will house the GH up against the wall next to the green box, along the path the pruned cornus' will all be removed and planted up as a sensory garden mainly with herbs and perennials. I have the go ahead to make a quiet seating area on the little raised area next to the bed so we will remove the odd steps which used to lead to an ancient mobile classroom. I'm hoping to have some wooden barrells planted up with single species things like sempervivums and thymes to create different sorts of habitats for the kids to look after. So many plans. So much pesky rain! Any ideas gratefully received (pleeease.....)








Anybody getting inspired to try at their school?? (she said hopefully....)

[4pygmies]

Barbara I would LOVE some bluebells please! Thank you. Ziggy, I'm hoping thatnext year, when we've got the different areas fully functioning to send each child home with a pot of potatoes to grow.
One day last week I was walking along the school corridor and overheard a 7/8 yr old girl telling her friend about her new house "We've only got a little garden" she said, " but it doesn't matter as we never go outside"..... ARRRRRGGGHHHHH! How terrible is that??
It renewed my determination though.......that poor girl, she has no idea what she's missing.....

[Chuckles]

Looks like you have a fantastic area for your club 4P. Once you get planting stuff it's going to look fab fab fab I can almost picture it already from all the planting ideas you have

[Deleted]

What a shame 4P that children never venture into the garden!

I understand that the Potato Board are taking registrations for next year already! So may be worth applying early.

Hopefully they'll all get the gardening bug once it's in full swing and be hooked for life.

Well done for what you've achieved so far it's amazing.

[4pygmies]

Here are the ponds nearly completed, I'm waiting for the soft sand to lay in the bottom before I put in the underlay and liner. I'm so relieved they look alright! I have another four of the smaller ones to use as raised beds so it's nice that they actually do look like the ones on the web site! I'm going to plant Barbara's kindly donated bluebells under the crab apple tree. Next is the purchase of the pond plants and the feeding station. I've put out a call for pallets too as I'm going to build LL's habitat tower in one corner next month.
Coo!

[Chuckles]

Flip dip 4P they look fantastic, Oooooh it's all very exciting and fab to see it all coming together. Great idea to do the inscet home from pallets, I just loved that whenn LL posted the picture.

Keep up the good work 4P and just imagine what it will all look like this time next year. You are brillliant 4P

[Chuckles]

How's progress with the project 4P, hope your getting some help

[4pygmies]

Erm not much. Just me and another keen Mum and her OH. Progress is slow! We have to try and get the GH up this Easter but before we can do that we have to remove some wooden edging, lay some paving to make the path safe, dig up several humungous shrubs and try to come up with a way to keep the greenhouse safe from the footballs! (Remove the footballs I say). I'm hoping my OH will be able to help during the break as
he can do in a few hours what will take me days - it's because he's got a willy apparently, although I don't quite see what he's going to use it for.......
New pics as soon as I have something ready. Thanks Chuckles!

[jean]

4pygmies said:

I'm hoping my OH will be able to help during the break as
he can do in a few hours what will take me days - it's because he's got a willy apparently, although I don't quite see what he's going to use it for.......
New pics as soon as I have something ready. Thanks Chuckles!

;D ;D ;D

Seriously though 4P, I don't know where you find the time. Hope there will be a plaque with your name on it when it is finished and a suitable HRH to do an official opening

[Chuckles]

Was thinking about your project and LL Hospital project last night.

How's yours going, did you manage to get OH to help during the school hols Or is it just you and the other couple still.

[Chuckles]

greety said:

Was thinking about your project and LL Hospital project last night.

How's yours going, did you manage to get OH to help during the school hols Or is it just you and the other couple still.

[4pygmies]

Hiya Chuckles Sorry I missed this yesterday due to mainly spending my day being sick in a bucket!!
The really sad news is that the husband who was so keen died very suddenly just before the Easter holidays..he was only 39. He had a heart condition no one knew about. It was truly awful. His wife is amazing though and is very keen to start again on the ponds so that's all set for next week. In the meantime I have been spending the grant money on equipping the 2 infant/reception classes with plants, seeds, compost and some bright coloured pots for their patio raised bed and windows. The little ones are going for flowers - sunflowers mainly but they seem keen to try pumpkins despite me warning the teacher how much space they'll take up.....the next class is trying courgettes, climbing purple French Beans and Chives and I have bought both classes some herbaceous plants to try - lamb's ears, geums, campanula etc so they're raring to go! Next are the older classes - a more difficult nut to crack! I'm trying to get the 7/8 yr olds to make their own weather station but it will involve technical stuff so I'm hoping the teacher is good at that sort of thing........Outside, apparently it's our job to cut down the shrubs that have got to go so I need some strong backs for that. Then I can get the soil ready for the orchard and blossom trees and get the rest of the raised beds up....... ....thanks for asking X

[isabella]

Hello 4p - I think it is absolutely brilliant what you are doing with your school gardening club - I always look forward to reading about it

That is very sad news about your helpers husband - how awful

Best Wishes from Pam

[MamIDdau]

Aw that's terrible! Poor bloke.

btw B&Q do better neighbour grants where they donate stuff to local schools etc. If you write to your local B&Q FAO the environment officer they might donate stuff to you. Sometimes of you go in and speak to the gardening manager, they might donate any erm, well, dying plants to you (such as the bargains I buy, water and revive).