School: Longfield School Status: Completed Date Started: 26 Jan 2009 Date Completed: 28 Jun 2010 Keywords tags: No of pupils: 0 Number of views: 2536
The gardening activity takes place after school until 5pm each Monday evening; this is linked in with the other STEMNET activities going on at the same time. There are generally 12-15 boys and girls who take part in gardening each week, these pupils have an age range of 11-14.
The aims of this club are to:
1. Introduce pupils to the concept of the ability to produce home-grown vegetables and fruit as an alternative to those bought in a supermarket.
2. Produce foodstuffs that can be used as experimental materials in science to demonstarte sp[ecific scientific concepts e.g red onions to show transfer of colour between cells.
3. Apply safe techniques when using gardening equipment and chemicals.
4. Encourage pupils to consider environmental issues and wildlife conservation.
Work completed so far:
1. Construction of six 2.4 Metres by 1.4 Metre deep beds made from new ‘railway sleepers’. Four of the beds will be used to demonstrate four-crop rotation, one is being used for growing herbs and edible flowers and one is planted up with soft fruit. Between and around the deep beds paths have been laid down.
2. Seven fruit trees have been planted around the plot; these include apples (Bramley and Braeburn), pear (Conference) and plum (Victoria).
3. We have put up a number of bird boxes in the mature trees that surround the plot. More will be added, these being constructed as a ‘wet-weather’ activity.
4. A base has been constructed for our shed; this should be delivered in the next couple of weeks. It will be used for storage of tools etc and for activities such as seed sowing and potting on.
5. We have planted a number of bulbs in the grassed area next to our garden; these include bluebells, daffodils and grape hyacinths. Wild flower seeds will be sown over the next couple of weeks.
Follow on projects:
1. Kitting out of the shed with solar panel and internal light (Science experiment).
2. Putting up of a greenhouse attached to the shed, the greenhouse is already on order.
3. Setting up of three compost bins, these being obtained from the recycling department of the local council, due next week.
4. In two weeks time we should be obtaining a water barrel, to collect water from the shed/greenhouse. At the same time we should also be getting a wormery.
5. To improve the wildlife potential of the garden area some of the STEMNET pupils are looking to make something like a ‘log pile’ to encourage things like hedgehogs and beneficial insects.
6. We are looking into obtaining a garden bench or two to be placed adjacent to the garden. This is to allow other pupils to enjoy what we are doing.