Dunbarney Primary School

Herb’s Marvellous Rainbow Garden

Our garden is based on "Herb the Vegetarian Dragon" by Jules Bass, with an ending adapted by our children. You can view their stories via the QR code below. Our garden features a greenhouse with a working drawbridge. Every plant in the garden is edible, and we plan to use the ingredients to make soup. We reused lots of things, including garden canes, netting, pots and compost. We refused any new plastic, instead repurposing used items such as the barbeque and hula-hoop.

Herb the Dragon

Painted pebbles in the greenhouse

A pot for soup and a garden visitor

Herb the Vegetarian Dragon is a good story with vibrant illustrations and completely relevant to the picnic garden theme. The children then adapted the ending.

The garden has a bug hotel attracting solitary bees. There are spider eggs and other insects in the bark tiles. Nasturtiums attract Cabbage white butterflies and garden bees. All plants in the garden are edible: Nasturtium, Sweat pea, Calendula, carrots, kale, beetroot, potato, tomato, chilli, sweet pepper, chive, mixed herbs, rocket, lettuce, strawberry, poppy have been planted.

There is nothing new in this garden except, some compost: We have reused pallets, garden canes, bubble wrap, plant pots, barbeque, netting, wood from stripping down a caravan, plastic bottles, hula-hoop and eggboxes. We have also used left over barrier to line the box, an old wicker basket and secateurs.

The children have used all kinds of tools and learnt new skills. They learnt about forces in structures, designed a drawbridge, measured and calculated area. They learnt how to improve their writing in adapting and up-levelling as well as making guides to planting. They have used their sewing skills and, working in pairs, guided each other as to where to sew the tiles. They have learnt to illustrate and use Medieval script. They have also learned that the plants struggle to survive in the high winds so one side has suffered. This has to be the windiest corner in Bridge of Earn! Almost every time we have worked on it we have been fighting very strong winds even when it is sunny. A windbreak is the next thing to build.

We got some seeds from our local expert, Catherine Lloyd and parents. We planted them at school then they all raised their seeds at home during the Easter holidays. Parents also came in to help with all aspects of construction and planting. Children have volunteered at lunchtime and during After School Club.

We are looking forward to making vegetable soup, especially carrot and herb soup as that is Herb’s favourite. We are going to make a schedule from volunteers to watering it over the summer holidays in return for ripe produce.

The garden is straight opposite the local shop so the community often stop to ask what it is as they have seen it change over the weeks. They often comment on how it is all getting on. Parents have said how their children have been enthusiastically planting at home too.