Janine King
Le Rondin School
Le Rondin gardening club is run as a formal weekly club, Friday lunchtime, with the invaluable help of 2-3 members of Floral Forest.
The club began after Easter, having extended a very small bed into an area of semi-raised beds next to the school greenhouse.
The fabulous caretaker, Mike Dorey, created the extended bed, rotavated the area and introduced soil enriching compost kindly donated by the Guernsey Mushroom Farm. He also edged the whole area.
As many pupils as possible have been given the opportunity to take part in gardening, so not only have the Garden Club members been involved, but also pupils from different classes and those accessing the SEBD base have enjoyed the activities.
The children from various classes planted seeds in pots, and later planted out seedlings such as runner beans and peas; or sowed into the beds salad crops including lettuce, radish and spring onions. Potatoes are being cultivated both in a tub, and in the ground. the children have planted out sunflowers grown from seed and donated to the school in the sensory gardens.
Staff have had the chance to have their own pots and hanging baskets or tubs planted up for the summer by the children using plug plants grown on in school. This has been costed out according to the size of container.
The pupils have been able to harvest the crops and sell them from the in-school hedge veg stall. This is important to the school for several reasons. It helps recoup the setting-up costs, teaches the children about enterprise, and keeps an important Guernsey tradition alive.
It is hoped that the pupils will be able to cook and prepare some of the fruits of their labour for a food tasting session toward the end of term so that they become aware of the difference in flavour when food is fresh and home grown.
Forest Primary School
The Forest School Eco Club (gardening club) meets on Thursdays after school. The Year 3 children have been busy with their teacher planting up in the greenhouse and the outside beds. They have been following the RHS Campaign for School Gardening programme.
The club began after Easter 2010, and has quite a small patch at the moment, consisting of two planters and many pots, but this will change with the new, custom made planters bought with money kindly donated by the Channel Island Co-Operative Society.
The children have sown carrot, spring onion, lettuce and radish seed and have strawberry plants, garlic, chives, parsley, thyme and orange scented mint plants, all grown in compost kindly given by the States Work Department. The club hasn't yet been able to make very much use of the greenhouse, but does have some tomato and cucumber plants, all of which are fruiting.
The club has also been responsible for planting up the planters at the front of the school and in the infants' playground, for the hanging baskets and for the spectacular sunflowers along the roadside.
They also do a great deal of watering! All the plants have been donated, many as a result of the Floral Forest Group's plant sales.
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The children from both gardening clubs have become enthusiastic gardeners, enjoying the experience of seeing plants grow and crops develop, and are becoming increasingly knowledgeable.
Many thanks are due to all those who have supported the clubs, both financially and practically.
April 2011
The RHS Britain in Bloom and Woodland Trust
free trees initiative to encourage woodland growth.
Robert Plumley planted four hawthorn trees
on the hedge by Rue des Galliennes, Forest.
The Forest School gardening club children helped to plant
four cherry and four hazel trees by the side of the school field, assisted by Mrs Liz Falla, Acting School Headteacher;
Sarah Plumley, Forest Floral Group Chairperson;
Anne Shakerley and Janine King.