Over the last three years, I’ve worked closely with concierges Sven and Rob at Junior School Leidschenveen (JSL) to make our teaching garden, ‘Plantastic Place’, a reality. We’ve put together plans, drawn up lists, sourced materials, and costed items. This has also included discussing the educational needs and what is required to set up a garden for teaching and learning purposes.
Over the summer term and into the weeks leading up to the start of the 2024-2025 school year, this finally came to fruition when the build phase commenced. Sven and Rob chose to build the greenhouse themselves, rather than have it constructed. Why? So they would know how to repair and maintain it themselves. Raised beds and sheds were added, along with water systems, so that we could get started with the growing.
Always on hand with plant advice too, Rob and Sven have also made use of the garden to grow plants from seed and bulbs for the playground and site areas.
We are now entering the final phase of the build, with more raised beds being added over the summer and some refinements made after testing the space with the children. The concierge team will also take over the watering and plant care over the summer, another essential task.
In its first year, the garden has successfully grown and produced 45 different fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. JSL’s children have had the chance to grow from seed to harvest, learning what it takes to maintain a plant by pricking out, potting on, planting out, watering, supporting and harvesting. They’ve propagated plants, learned how plants reproduce and what different plants need to thrive.
The garden is expanding their horizons as they encounter new and different fruits and vegetables, even trying things they’ve never tasted before. One parent recently told us that their child wouldn’t touch spinach, and how they’d happily munched through several leaves in the gardening CCA.
A final leading theme has been the contribution to the environment. Beyond the plants and produce grown, which benefit our insect population, are the conscious choices made to minimise our environmental impact while gardening. Reusing old plastic, making our own plant supports and biodegradable pots, encouraging parents to donate old and unwanted equipment, and collecting leaves to make leaf mould are just a few examples.
Understanding how to support nature in the garden has also been important, and children have engaged in activities to help birds and pollinators, for example, making seed balls in winter and creating bug hotels.
We are looking forward to seeing how gardening continues to grow in JSL next academic year, and I know the children are already anticipating the future pumpkins and other vegetables they’ve planted. Next year, we aim to take our food production full circle and utilise it in our Food Technology lessons, to sell more of our produce and offer seed and plant swaps.
We also aim to engage our parents and the wider community, so please keep an eye out for any upcoming opportunities.
Author
I’m Catherine van Renen (neé Durrands) and I’ve worked for the BSN for 12 years. I’ve worked in a variety of roles and currently teach across JSL, leading Creative Curriculum lessons, PPA and cover. Three years ago, I had the dream to start a school garden…
