Last of the parsnips

We forgot about a few parsnips that had been in the ground for over 12 months at St Johns. After a titanic battle, we eventually pulled them out. They were a bit rough around the edges but we didn't care. No supermarket cosmetic standards here.

Multilingual carrots in Clayton

A Polish girl, a Chinese girl and a Saudi boy walk into a garden with a packet of carrot seeds. Sounds like a Bernard Manning joke but this is a group I'm working with at Ravensbury. We planted the carrots and then started talking about how to say "carrot" in their home language. So we decided it would be nice to write some labels in different languages so we could see the different types of writing they use and they can show off their writing skills.

'Allo Vera

At St John's, there are several pot plants that have been sitting in the greenhouse for years. We noticed that an Aloe Vera had got a bit overcrowded in its pot and that several little babies were fighting for space. 

So we took it out of its pot, separated the different plants and re-potted them. The roots on these things are amazing, up to 5 feet long, wrapped round and round the pot, I can see how they survive in the desert. Let's just hope they'll survive the re-potting.
 

Autumn is time for .... planting trees and shrubs

Another good autumn activity is to plant trees and shrubs. I've been planting fruit trees with several schools.

At Armitage we were given some bamboo and holly by a parent who works at a garden centre. We weren't quite sure what to do with them. Then the School Business Manager said that people were jumping over the short fence in the car park to make a short cut to the entrance. So, Reception children have created an obstacle which is working so far.

Planting these was relatively easy. Dig hole, put tree in, fill hole and tread on the soil to firm the plant in.  A good activity for a cold day.

The A-Z of gardening

Wet weather can sometimes be a problem working in Manchester, although not as often as you might think. I do like to get outside as much as possible but there are some days when it's time for an inside activity. And sometimes there can be 10 minutes spare at the end of a session.

I've found that children love to play the A-Z of gardening. Get everyone in a circle and explain the rules. Children will take it in turns to say a word that has something to do with gardening or plants. It could be a plant, a tool, an activity, anything. The first person has to think of something beginning with "A", the second with "B" and so on. If they can't think of anything they can ask a friend, maybe two. Children with limited English could say something in their language. The aim is to see how far the group can get through the alphabet. Or you could make it competitive where people have to drop out if they can't think of anything.

After one game at Ravensbury, a Year 5 girl said she would come back the next week with something for each letter of the alphabet. And she did.

Autumn is time for .... bulbs

The autumn term is not a great time for planting but you can plant bulbs that will flower in the spring. They are easy to plant but a bulb planter really helps. These pull out a plug of soil leaving a hole into which you place the bulb. You can then simply drop the soil back into the hole. Much easier than using a trowel and if the soil is soft enough, Nursery children can do a perfectly good job with these.

Bulbs will grow in planters,in the soil and many will do perfectly well planted in small pots. Children love to plant one in a pot and take it home for the window sill.

Coming back to school can be fun

At Ravensbury we came back in September to find some mixed results from our summer planting. Some things didn't do well, some completely failed but the leeks .... well, the leeks were magnificent. They are a pretty hardy plant and do well in northern England. As you can see, the children who planted them were rather pleased.