For all the P1's, Miss Dunbar and Mrs Mutch: We have started you off, with some tubs of your own. In them you will find some spring flowering bulbs, plus a number of edibles which we have started from seed just to get you all going (peas, beans, radishes, lettuce, herbs, etc). Both classes have a grow bag of potatoes, and tubs of rhubarb and strawberries. You can compare notes as they grow; and results at the time of digging them up or harvesting. There are also some additions to encourage wildlife in and around your outdoor classrooms. So enjoy!
Are you ready to garden?
For all the P1's, Miss Dunbar and Mrs Mutch: We have started you off, with some tubs of your own. In them you will find some spring flowering bulbs, plus a number of edibles which we have started from seed just to get you all going (peas, beans, radishes, lettuce, herbs, etc). Both classes have a grow bag of potatoes, and tubs of rhubarb and strawberries. You can compare notes as they grow; and results at the time of digging them up or harvesting. There are also some additions to encourage wildlife in and around your outdoor classrooms. So enjoy!
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Crown Primary School's Citizenship Groups start this afternoon, Monday 13 January 2014. They are timetabled between 1.30-2.30 pm, and run weekly this term through to Easter. Mrs Hutchinson will work with the garden group again. Any parental help welcome, even if it is on an adhoc basis. If you can give a weekly commitment to this activity even better. It is easiest if you come to the school by 1.20 pm or thereby, and you must sign in at the school office first. Then either go up to join Mrs Hutchinson directly in her classroom, or go round to the shed to help with getting tools out, in preparation for a start. If you don't have a key for the shed, a spare one is located with Helen in the School Office. Please return it after use. Crown Primary School Community Garden, was delighted to be awarded a sum of £500 from Dobbies ‘Here We Grow’ Community Fund at the end of November 2013, for our project. This was then kindly matched by the gift of timber planters and compost from Scotbark. The outcome is a new series of raised based at the main and South West facing entrance to the school. This area contributes to the Crown Conservation Area, as does the wider school grounds.
ANOTHER PHASE OF THE GARDEN As a school and community, we have been gardening at the rear of the school for 10 years, in the nursery garden, and 3 years in the adjacent walled garden, with some structural and much seasonal planting, across a number of raised beds and planters. We embrace the philosophies of the Eco-Schools programme and the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, and firmly believe that gardening in the school promotes outdoor learning and understanding of environment. Specifically it delivers educational, recreational and health benefits for the very youngest members of society. In planning for the continued development of the school garden, over the summer of 2013, we had identified the need to increase the number of fruiting bushes and trees across the grounds along with an improvement of two main areas of the school: the front entrance/garden to Kingsmills Road, and the areas to the entrances for the Primary 1’s, to form outdoor classrooms. Over the summer we also registered for Jamie Oliver’s Kitchen-Garden Project, which links up school gardens to school kitchens, promoting a holistic fork to fork understanding of growth and consumption of garden produce. Consequently, the arrival of Dobbies to Inverness, in Autumn 2013, and the news of their associated Community Fund brought the chance for the school to take plans forward. In our school garden it relatively easy to sow annuals for the summer, and even for autumn, with the children. However it is hugely important for children to experience what grows seasonally, on a year round basis (and not just edibles). This will give them firsthand experience of what grows, where and when. With the award made by Dobbies, and given that it was made at the end of the year, it gave us a chance to select a variety of plants which come into being in winter and spring, and to extend the possibilities within the school garden. On visiting Dobbies, we elected to use the funds, in the main, for structural and fruiting plant purchases. These included 3 fruit trees: two ‘Morello’ cherries and an ‘Egremont Russet’ apple, a couple of fruiting bushes, some permanent planting (including buxus, heathers, hellebores, dogwoods etc), and spring bulbs. This planting was all zoned for the front garden. On announcing the news of the award at the school, this acted as a catalyst for change and good. Glenda Catto, a parent of a pupil in the school, and an owner of Inverness based Scotbark kindly matched the award and gifted the school a pallet of timber and associated kit plus a supply of compost so that we could build a series of additional planters within the school grounds. With a team of parent helpers, both mums and dads, an army of school children plus Mrs Hutchinson (a teacher who is highly committed to the garden), over a freezing fortnight in December we built and planted up seven new planters for the front garden. We also moved a couple of underutilised benches from elsewhere in the school grounds to bring this area together, in design terms. The result is a beautiful new front garden to be enjoyed by both the school and the local community. And as spectacular as the garden was in the run up to Christmas, the full joy is yet to come, when the fruit trees burst into blossom this spring! Many thanks to Fiona MacBeth, Hamish Davidson and all at Dobbies. We are very grateful for the award, and it has been used wisely. Equally our thanks go out to Glenda Catto, and all at Scotbark. We recognise that Christmas came early to Crown. OPEN WELCOME TO LOCAL SCHOOL GROUPS For other local schools who may brouse this website, please note we openly welcome visits from you, to exchange ideas and experience; especially if you are just starting off. This can be arranged at anytime with a little notice. At the school garden we have to ensure we are 'nut free', in everything that we do, to safeguard children with nut allergies. So we have made a sample fruity bird feeder, which adds autumnal delight and encourages some wildlife into the garden. We will make some more with the school's citizenship groups over the term. You might like to make this at home, with your children, and if so what you need is: A length of garden wire; 6 apples; 4 dried dates; 6 dried apricots. Simply string the apples onto the wire, and at either end add some of the smaller dried fruits. Twist the wire to form a wreath. If you are concerned about the exposed ends of the wire, place a cork on each end, to seal it up. Find a branch on your tree or bush, where a bird can rest whilst eating, and hang it up. Remember, that birds prefer to come to feeders which are located on sunny sites. You'll see we have been visited by our friendly blackbird already! Off to pastures new and to persuade another school to rise to the challenge of gardening Crown Primary School’s loss is Stonehaven’s gain, as Lucy and family (Izzy, Ailsa and Ollie), are shortly moving to Aberdeenshire, to join Craig in life and work there. Lucy, as an active and committed parent helper, has been instrumental in the development of the school garden to date. From its first planting out in April 2011; to two years of work with the citizenship groups; the preparation work for the redevelopment of the nursery garden; the improvement of the front of the school; work on the art work which is appearing in the grounds (the sheds and mosaic); all the gardening days we have had so far and the maintenance of the garden throughout the long summer holidays; she has been there in all weathers (often with Ollie) and for each and every project. Having viewed the children’s new school, Lucy has mentioned that if she can find a group of parents who are up for the challenge, and the school is receptive to it, she plans to establish a culture of gardening and improve the school grounds. Once settled, her work here, will no doubt inspire a new generation of gardeners (pupils, teachers and parents) in the North East. Lucy, we will miss you like mad. It has brought nothing but pleasure to have had your company and infectious enthusiasm for life over the past few years. 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? Following his successful campaign to improve school dinners in the UK, Jamie Oliver has launched a new initiative entitled the 'Kitchen Garden Project' where he encourages schools through their gardens and kitchens to 'grow it, cook it, love it'. In essence, the initiative promotes environmental / food education along with good health. As we are already active in these areas it will bring structure to some of the activities that happen in the garden and kitchen, and link them up; so it naturally makes sense for Crown Primary School to get involved Consequently we are in the process of registering the school. To get us started in practical terms, over the next few weeks parent helpers involved with the garden will encourage teachers, pupils and parent helpers who assist with the kitchen to come on a guided tour of the garden. This will share knowledge of what exists in the raised beds, and what can be used from the garden year round. For example, we are happy to give a clear identification of all the available and abundant herbs. Over the forthcoming year we will work with pupils, through the citizenship groups, and aim to get a successional system up and running, whereby we regularly sow and plant a range of edibles in the garden with the project in mind. With regard to harvesting, along with the produce from the garden, at any given time through the blog, we will make an appeal for excess local produce to come into the school, to cook with. For example if we are picking the schools apples, for a recipe, we may ask for surplus apples from the children’s own gardens to be brought in to top up the quantity, and ensure there is enough to go around. Through the project the children will have first hand experience of growing and cooking with fruit, vegetables and herbs directly from their school garden. When it goes to the kitchen, the produce will reduce food miles, be seasonal and fresh, and bring year round variety for cooking with. In short it closes the garden (both school and wider community) to kitchen loop. http://www.jamieoliver.com/kitchen-garden-project/kgp.php Earlier this year through the school's garden group, we tried, without success, to establish an area of wildflower garden adjacent to the school playing field. It was planned that this would:
However, the area where we experimented was not distinct enough to the external contractors, who come in to the school to keep the turfed areas. As a result the area was repeatedly cut back with industrial mowers, as per other areas of grass. In short, the wildflower seed sown simply did not get a chance to grow. On returning to school in the Autumn, a chance meeting with Glenda Catto, of Scotbark, and a discussion over this matter has led to a permanent solution. We are going to install a length of Scotbark's 'Filtrexx Soxx', seeded with a wildflower mix, to establish this new area of the garden, and get it going in full. This will provide a raised area of wildflower garden, and make it distinct to both the children and the contractors that something is growing here whilst it gets established. If at first you don't succeed, then try and try again............. Thanks again Scotbark! http://www.scotbarkuk.com/filtrexx.php After a search for a local source of pallets or boxes, Wyvis Roofing, in Inverness have kindly donated two slate boxes to the school garden, which with minor modifications by our handy woman and parent Melanie, will be up and running as our compost bins.
At the end of 2011 we had located two plastic compost bins on the playing field, near the garden, only to find that later the same day these lightweight bins they had be blown into Midmills Road. Disaster! As such all thoughts of producing our own compost had been put to bed over the winter until now. However to close the loop in the garden, it is essential that we are converting our plant waste to compost for ourselves; hence the need for containers of some sort. Composting enables the children to fully engage with the process of decay and regeneration in the garden, and the conversion of waste to a useful product. The slate boxes which we have received are the perfect height for the children and their open structure means the process will be visible to all. So thanks again Wyvis Roofing. |
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April 2014
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