A busy week in the garden!

This week, the children have been extra busy! We have started to transfer the plants into the raised beds, planted our final batch of potatoes and have added carrots. The allotment area is certainly starting to take shape and we can.t wait to taste the fruit and vegetables, when they are ready.

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

We have had a wonderful week gardening, with Mrs Hotchkiss joining us. We have planted some more potatoes and bulbs, cleaned pots ready for more seeds and have done some general housekeeping around the beds. I was such a lovely day with the sun shining and the temperature rising.

A weed is a plant, that is growing in the wrong place!

This week, we have weeded galore to prepare the raised beds for this years growing season. The beds are immaculate and ready to go! The children have been wonderful in digging out those unwanted plants, watering the seedlings thriving in the polytunnel and re organizing it, so we have more room for even more planting. I am so excited to see the array fruit and vegetables that we hope to produce this year.

Genesis 1:29 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

This week has seen the start of the Our Lady’s growing season, with our lunchtime gardening club. A selection of children from Reception to Year 6, have joined in. Each week, we will be busy in the polytunnel and nurturing our raised beds in preparation for this years plants. It has been wonderful to see the excitement and enthusiasm shown, no matter the task! From transporting compost, removing shrub cuttings, planting potatoes and weeding, it is truly amazing how much you can achieve in such a short time, with amazing eager assistants!

Spring has sprung!!! Our new allotment is up and running!

Dear parents and children,

For the past 15 years we have sustained a school gardening club at the local Shepherd Rd Allotments - something we did every Monday after school. Sadly, not all children got to take part and the community didn’t always see the fruits of our labour. Last year our current Year 6 children proposed the idea of building a school allotment in the grounds next to our Polytunnel. Miss Hornby, thought this was a wonderful idea she put money from the school budget to one side project - what a wonderful legacy. Over the winter Mr Hotchkiss has kindly built the beds and Mrs Mather and Mrs Hotchkiss organised the shed and polytunnel - ready for Spring. This week we all got planting! We have sowed and planted:

Year 6 strawberries

French Beans- Year 5

Corn and beetroots - Year 3

Onions and radishes - Year 4

Courgettes and sunflowers - Year 2

Nasturtiums - Year 1

Broad Beans - Reception

We will keep you updated as our garden grows

Gooseberry picking down at the allotment (end of June)

Look what the gardeners have been up to! We filled 10 bags full of gooseberries- a number of staff put in orders! The children took them home to make crumbles and pies!