Why Take Part?

  • Supports your journey towards being a sustainable learning setting
  • Encourages pupil voice especially in the design phase
  • Curricular links across all phases of the competition
  • Participation can be part of your Eco-Schools Scotland Green Flag application
  • Receive support from a Garden for Life mentor
  • Fosters an ethos of collaboration and community in the creation of the garden
  • Creates an oasis for nature and sensory inspiration in your grounds

Garden for Life Mentors

We have a team of experienced volunteer mentors who can offer advice by telephone or in person to local schools on designing, building and planting your Pocket Garden. Some mentors may be able to supply you with plants. Please email pocketgarden@keepscotlandbeautiful.org  to find out more.  Garden for Life is a partnership of organisations working in Scotland. It aims to promote wildlife-friendly gardening ideas and techniques as well as gardens that are great for well-being and healthy living.

What schools say about taking part

“None of us had turned a paper design into something real before, so making paper, using tools and testing new methods felt freeing. It was hands on learning at its best. It felt like we had actually brought something to life.”

“The garden encouraged curiosity, problem-solving, teamwork and a deeper connection with nature and how living things grow.”

“Our favourite part of creating the garden was how it brought so many students together. Most of the pupils in the school have been involved in some way, from sharing what their favourite lunch is, choosing what to plant, sowing seeds to calculating how much water is needed to grow our lunches.”

“It is impossible to measure the benefits, both physically and mentally, that this experience has brought to the children involved in this project. I believe that the elements of planning, teamwork, commitment and perseverance will be carried on into their future school years and beyond. The pupils quite literally, brought something to life and the pleasure they have taken from that achievement has been the best seed we could have planted.”

Health Benefits

Scotland's Chief Medical Officer recognised the health benefits of taking part in Pocket Garden in his Annual Report 2023 -2024. He said it "connects children with their food and with nature."

You may have seen Pocket Gardens featured on the BBC television programme, Beechgrove Garden in 2021. Previously, the Pocket Gardens have been displayed at Gardening Scotland in Edinburgh, where they have been visited by the BBC Beechgrove Garden team, and the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform.

Curricular Links

Early level
TCH 0-10a I explore everyday materials in the creation of pictures/models/concepts.
EXA 0-05a Inspired by a range of stimuli, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through activities within art and design.
SCN 0-03a I have helped to grow plants and can name their basic parts. I can talk about how they grow and what I need to do to look after them.
SCN 0-05a / SCN 1-05a By investigating how water can change from one form to another, I can relate my findings to everyday experiences.
HWB 0-15a / HWB 1-15a / HWB 2-15a / HWB 3-15a / HWB 4-15a I am developing my understanding of the human body and can use this knowledge to maintain and improve my wellbeing and health.
First level
LIT 1-10a I can communicate clearly when engaging with others within and beyond my place of learning, using selected resources as required.
EXA 1-06a I can use exploration and imagination to solve design problems related to real-life situations.
SCN 1-15a Through exploring properties and sources of materials, I can choose appropriate materials to solve practical challenges.
TCH 1-06a I can take appropriate action to ensure conservation of materials and resources considering the impact of my actions on the environment.
HWB 0-33a / HWB 1-33a I am becoming aware of how cleanliness, hygiene and safety can affect health and wellbeing and I apply this knowledge in my everyday routines such as taking care of my teeth.
SOC 1-04a I can compare aspects of people’s daily lives in the past with my own by using historical evidence or the experience of recreating an historical setting.
Second level
EXA 2-06a I can develop and communicate my ideas, demonstrating imagination and presenting at least one possible solution to a design problem.
TCH 2-04c I can extend and explore problem solving strategies to meet increasingly difficult challenges with a food or textile focus.
SCN 2-02a I can use my knowledge of the interactions and energy flow between plants and animals in ecosystems, food chains and webs. I have contributed to the design or conservation of a wildlife area.
SCN 2-05a I can apply my knowledge of how water changes state to help me understand the processes involved in the water cycle in nature over time.
SCN 2-18a I have investigated different water samples from the environment and explored methods that can be used to clean and conserve water and I am aware of the properties and uses of water.
SOC 2-07a I can describe the major characteristic features of Scotland’s landscape and explain how these were formed.
Third level
EXA 3-06a While working through a design process in response to a design brief, I can develop and communicate imaginative design solutions.
TCH 3-04c By using problem-solving strategies and showing creativity in a design challenge, I can plan, develop, make and evaluate food or textile items which meet needs at home or in the world of work.
SCN 3-01a I can sample and identify living things from different habitats to compare their biodiversity and can suggest reasons for their distribution.
SOC 3-04a I can explain the similarities and differences between the lifestyles, values and attitudes of people in the past by comparing Scotland with a society in Europe or elsewhere.
SOC 3-01a I can use my knowledge of a historical period to interpret the evidence and present an informed view.
Fourth level
LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a By considering the type of text I am creating, I can independently select ideas and relevant information for different purposes, and organise essential information or ideas and any supporting detail in a logical order. I can use suitable vocabulary to communicate effectively with my audience.
EXA 4-06a By working through a design process in response to a design brief, I can develop and communicate imaginative and original design solutions.
TCH 4-10a I consider the material performance as well as sustainability of materials and apply these to real world tasks.
SOC 4-08a I can discuss the sustainability of key natural resources and analyse the possible implications for human activity.
SCN 4-18a I can monitor the environment by collecting and analysing samples. I can interpret the results to inform others about levels of pollution and express a considered opinion on how science can help to protect our environment.

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