Lathallan Junior School
The 'Three craws' Eco garden
🌿What was your favourite part of creating your garden?
The highlights was the bird quiz (25-30 kids came in their break). The painting of the bird table, making the rain chains and bird feeders were also popular activities. They enjoyed using hand tools to put the hooks onto the table structure. Pupils enjoyed decorating the pebbles with bird designs and adding them to the bird bath to stop insects from drowning there. Pupils reallly enjoyed wearing gardening gloves and using trowels to plant the seedlings they had grown, then watering them afterwards. They enjoyed working together on a project.
🌿Did you face any challenges and how did you respond to them?
We had to trial and error planting the seedum plants to make a living roof. We needed to add a front rail to this roof to stop the soil from washing away in the rain. We tried to grow teasel plants from seed but not one seed germinated. We grew lots of sunflower plants from seeds but they needed canes to support them so we had to plant them in a different location. We painted all the pebbles with the wrong paint so all our bird designs washed away. We had to do this all again and then we varnished over the pebbles.
🌿What did you learn whilst creating your garden?
We learnt a lot about birds - we held a break time bird quiz, plus a break time bird watch. We tracked their footprints in the snow. We learnt how to make fat balls and cheerio bird feeders. We learnt what plants birds like to use for their nesting and which plant seeds they like to eat. We learnt how to germinate seeds. We learnt how to water the seedlings with a watering can rose like rain. We learnt Bees like to live in a hive and some Bees alone. We learnt the the Bumble bee is our only scottish native Bee (lots of fur to survive the cold).
🌿Did you have any links with your local community or a Pocket Garden mentor whilst creating your garden?
We had a visit from an Aberdeen country ranger called Simon Whitworth who helped us with the planting of our plants grown from seeds and we also sowed wild seeds in a 'bee line' to help encourage pollinators to this area
🌿What will happen to your garden after the competition has finished?
The garden will be maintained by junior eco club. The bird feeder will be topped up and the bird and bee bath checked regularly. The box of straw and moss will be filled when needed for birds to use for their nesting. The types of Birds and Bees seen by pupils will be written down on the chalk board in the garden. The plants will be watered when needed.
🌿Is there anything else you would like to share?
Happy 10th birthday to Pocket Gardens!
🌿Garden design
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