A year on from establishing the compost bins we have produced our first (and substantial) batch of Crown Primary School Compost!
In the summer of 2012, the parent gardeners set up two large open compost bins, made from recycled roofing pallets donated by Wyvis Roofing. The aim was to supplement the production of compost made from the intensive and enclosed bins which are located by the wall to the church. Food scraps from the canteen and school are collected but restricted to these enclosed bins; and should produce a concentrated compost or plant food. We shall shortly discover what we have made, when we open and turn them next term. This will form part of the citizenship group’s work.
However by contrast, the two large open bins have been fed by pupils disposing of garden waste from the school grounds. This takes the form of dead and excess foliage from pruning, grass cuttings, leaf mould etc. In addition to this Mel (Katie and Hugo’s Mum) has lovingly tended the bins by bringing in worms, plus regularly feeding them a supply of cardboard and newspaper to get the mix right. Left open to the elements, and over the course of the year, nature has done its work, and hey presto c o m p o s t !
Mel, assisted by Gilly (Megan’s Mum), Crown’s Mr MacLeod and his enthusiastic P3’s, 'turned' the bins to see what lay beneath. Surface weeds removed, we were left with what appeared to be a perfect texture and consistency in the entire batch of compost. To prove it the children along with their respective teachers all took a handful for inspection, throughout the course of the day. Did it stink? No! Did it smell of rotten food? No! Could you see material in it? No! Was it full of bits of paper? No! Was it full of bugs? Yes, but only the good kind (worms)! What did it smell of? Well, "it smells....nice....it smells of.......earth!" That’s because that is precisely what we have. Wow!
So why waste a good thing? Well, we don’t! The compost came full cycle and was immediately put to good use. What felt to Julie (Jake and Max’s Mum) like 200 pupils and certainly more than half of the school each planted up a strawberry plant from runners and propagated rosemary from cuttings. These new plants were placed into a small pot filled with Crown Primary School Compost. In addition to what went home, with the children we made a stock of further strawberry plants, and propagated rosemary, lavender and angelica for the greenhouse plus planted out the cabbages in the raised beds. As an experiment, Mrs Pollock’s P3/2’s returned to class with more cuttings still to propagate and monitor the root formation in water. These will then be planted out in spring 2014.
Finally Lucy, Lucy (yes, two Lucy’s, as parents of Sam plus Izzy, Ailsa and Ollie) and Nikki (parent of Sam) (two Sam’s ...different mums...and who said gardening was easy?), spent the day working on the completion of the mosaic work. We are just about there, finishing off the artwork and effort of Primary 7’s who recently moved up to Millburn following summer. We are working on the Northern panel of it at present; and the whole piece is beginning to shine. As did the sun on the day, which was extremely lucky considering the monsoon the day before.
Another day in the life of Crown Primary School Community Garden.....what’s not to enjoy?
In the summer of 2012, the parent gardeners set up two large open compost bins, made from recycled roofing pallets donated by Wyvis Roofing. The aim was to supplement the production of compost made from the intensive and enclosed bins which are located by the wall to the church. Food scraps from the canteen and school are collected but restricted to these enclosed bins; and should produce a concentrated compost or plant food. We shall shortly discover what we have made, when we open and turn them next term. This will form part of the citizenship group’s work.
However by contrast, the two large open bins have been fed by pupils disposing of garden waste from the school grounds. This takes the form of dead and excess foliage from pruning, grass cuttings, leaf mould etc. In addition to this Mel (Katie and Hugo’s Mum) has lovingly tended the bins by bringing in worms, plus regularly feeding them a supply of cardboard and newspaper to get the mix right. Left open to the elements, and over the course of the year, nature has done its work, and hey presto c o m p o s t !
Mel, assisted by Gilly (Megan’s Mum), Crown’s Mr MacLeod and his enthusiastic P3’s, 'turned' the bins to see what lay beneath. Surface weeds removed, we were left with what appeared to be a perfect texture and consistency in the entire batch of compost. To prove it the children along with their respective teachers all took a handful for inspection, throughout the course of the day. Did it stink? No! Did it smell of rotten food? No! Could you see material in it? No! Was it full of bits of paper? No! Was it full of bugs? Yes, but only the good kind (worms)! What did it smell of? Well, "it smells....nice....it smells of.......earth!" That’s because that is precisely what we have. Wow!
So why waste a good thing? Well, we don’t! The compost came full cycle and was immediately put to good use. What felt to Julie (Jake and Max’s Mum) like 200 pupils and certainly more than half of the school each planted up a strawberry plant from runners and propagated rosemary from cuttings. These new plants were placed into a small pot filled with Crown Primary School Compost. In addition to what went home, with the children we made a stock of further strawberry plants, and propagated rosemary, lavender and angelica for the greenhouse plus planted out the cabbages in the raised beds. As an experiment, Mrs Pollock’s P3/2’s returned to class with more cuttings still to propagate and monitor the root formation in water. These will then be planted out in spring 2014.
Finally Lucy, Lucy (yes, two Lucy’s, as parents of Sam plus Izzy, Ailsa and Ollie) and Nikki (parent of Sam) (two Sam’s ...different mums...and who said gardening was easy?), spent the day working on the completion of the mosaic work. We are just about there, finishing off the artwork and effort of Primary 7’s who recently moved up to Millburn following summer. We are working on the Northern panel of it at present; and the whole piece is beginning to shine. As did the sun on the day, which was extremely lucky considering the monsoon the day before.
Another day in the life of Crown Primary School Community Garden.....what’s not to enjoy?