July 2024 update from Mrs Beer
The Young Gardeners have enjoyed another productive year in the school garden. The raised beds are full of crops, the walls, window boxes and hanging baskets have pretty flowers on display and the children have full tummies from eating their yummy potatoes.
The Scarecrow competition was a huge success with 16 amazingly creative scarecrows on display in the garden, which are doing their job to scare away the large birds. 1st place went to the Dobby scarecrow, 2nd place went to Spiderman and 3rd place went to Silver Spikey Football Head. Thank you to all the children who entered. The school children enjoyed judging the competition and found it difficult to choose their favourite.
The Crop Sale was a great success this year with the Young Gardeners, selling the crops they had grown from seed. They raised a fabulous £105.00 for the Brain Tumour Charity.
The Young Gardeners had an extra special outing to the Salisbury Road Allotments, where Jan, bee keeper, gave us a lesson on bee keeping The children loved trying on the bee suit, smoking the bees and tasting the new honey.
I would like to thank Lesley Sansom and Jayne Causer for their help and support each week. I could not do it without them.
I wish you all an enjoyable summer holiday and I look forward to seeing everyone in the Autumn term for more fun gardening activities.
If your child would like to join the Young Gardeners afterschool club, please ask at the school office for an information slip.
July 2023
Scarecrows!
Thank you to everyone who made a Scarecrow, they were all amazing. Each class spent time in the garden to view the crops and vote for their favourite scarecrow.
The results are:
1st was number 4
2nd was number 7
3rd was number 2
Digging Potatoes!
In July the Young Gardeners all enjoyed Spud week where they dug up their Charlotte potatoes. We had an excellent crop this year and each child took a big bag home.
The children enjoyed Spud week.
The Young Gardeners were very happy with their potato harvest.
July 2023
The children have worked very hard to fill the raised beds with vegetables, herb and flowers.
February 2023
Update from Mrs Beer - 06.01.2023
Thank you to Eleanor Legg for bringing in the hedgehog house that her Grandad and her made together. This is a strong house made with wood and must have taken many hours to was make. Mrs Beer and Eleanor found a quiet area in the wildlife garden and filled the box with cardboard and hay. We hope a hedgehog will fine it for the winter, or maybe a few harvest mice will enjoy it.
Our new raised beds.
Young Gardeners Club is a very popular club and there was a need for more areas to grow our crops. In October, a team of volunteers helped to clear an area, erect fences and make new raised beds. The project took two weekends, long days, in varied weather but we all worked very hard. We still have the beds to be filled with 2 tons of top soil. This will be completed when the weather is warmer. However, the photos show what a massive improvement they look. Thank you so very much for all who helped. A special thank you to SD Builders, Jewsons and my husband and family for continually supporting me with this club.
Young Gardeners win competition
The Young Gardeners were delighted to win £500 in competition ran at Dobbies Garden Centre in Havant. The public had to vote for their favourite club and we were delighted to be winners. The children could choose what they wanted to purchase from Dobbies. The children choose a variety of gardening tools as many of ours had broken and they wanted to use tools they had not used before. We are all excited to use them in February when Young Gardeners Club returns after our winter hibernation.
Update from Mrs Beer - 22.07.2022
Planting apple and pear trees in February.
Planting and harvesting potatoes.
Beautiful flowers and great looking crops.
End of year water fun.
Thank you to all the children for their hard work to make the school gardens look amazing.
Have a wonderful summer holiday and I will look forward to more gardening activities in September.
Update from Mrs Beer - 11.07.2022
Annual Scarecrow Competition!
At Young Gardeners Club we have an organic approach to gardening and do not use chemicals and pesticides. By using methods of companion planting, sacrificial planting and natural methods, (Scarecrows), we are being kind to nature and the world around us.
This year the children who attend Young Gardeners Club had the opportunity to make their own Scarecrows at home. The criteria was for the Scarecrow to be noisy, made with recyclable items and to be child made with adult assistance.
All 16 Scarecrows were absolutely amazing. All very imaginative and all noisy. Each class visited the garden and voted for which Scarecrow they liked the best. The feedback from the teachers and children were very positive with all enjoying being out the classroom and viewing the garden crops, flowers and Scarecrows.
The winners were announced in assembly. All children who took part were given a gift and the winners had prizes and certificates. Well done to Ruth, Maggie and Lennon.
Thank you to all who entered. The birds are definitely not bothering our crops!!
Update from Mrs Beer - 04.04.2022
In October 2021 the Young Gardeners planted 300 Tête-à-tête narcissus daffodil bulbs. They choose to raise money for The Alan Sansom Brain Tumour Charity as he helped at Young Gardeners and in the school. They were pleased how many grew and how beautiful the flowers were. On March 4th the children held their charity daffodil sale and were delighted to raised £130. Thank you for everyone who bought a daffodil. Kind regards Mrs Beer and the Young Gardeners.
Update from Mrs Beer - 04.05.2021
I am delighted to announce that after 14 months of Covid restrictions, Young Gardeners Club will be back on Mondays, 3.20-4.30pm from Monday 17th May 2021. I have contacted children who are currently on the register to attend first. Then I will contact those on the waiting list. If your child would like to attend please can you write a note with your child's name, class and a contact number and hand into the office, addressed to me. I will then make contact with you.
I am looking forward to helping the children to make our garden look amazing again.
Update from Mrs Beer - 01.04.2021
Year 4 children planted many spring bulbs, onions, garlic and broad beans in Autumn. Their efforts have been successful with beautiful pots of daffodils, tulips, muscari and the broad beans are growing well too. Year 4 class planters are also looking delightful.
Victory Class have also been learning about potatoes and enjoyed our 'Spud Week' when they planted 30 Pentland Javelin early potatoes. These will be harvested the last week of term.
I hope Young Gardeners Club will return when Covid restrictions are lifted. I will contact children on the register first and then offer places out to those who are on the waiting list. If your child would like to attend please write their name and class on a piece of paper address to Mrs Beer and leave in the office. I will add their name onto the waiting list.
In the mean time I will be keeping on top of the gardening with my class helpers.
Enjoy the Springtime when the birds sing, the weather is warmer and new flowers start to appear.
Mrs Beer
Update from Mrs Beer - 11.05.2020
Dear Young Gardeners and Parents.
I hope you all are well. I have been visiting the garden at the weekends and the crops are growing well, but so are the weeds. It's hard work on my own and I do miss my young gardeners helping me. In October the children potted bulbs for Spring. The week after lock down there was a beautiful spring flower display which the children would have loved to see. So I have taken a few photos for them.
In the Poly tunnel we planted a few crops which are growing. The potatoes, runner beans, broad beans, strawberries, carrots and onions are growing well in the garden.
I will keep you updated and hope to see you before the end of term.
Take care and be safe.
Best wishes
Helen
