Glenburgh Nursery Centre

Fronk’s Garden

Our garden is to provide an edible garden for our nursery pet – a Horsfield Tortoise called Fronk. We reused pallets received from a delivery of nursery resources to create the garden. The sustainable garden provides nutritious food that Fronk can roam about in and nibble on when he is taken to his garden - there is a selection of herbs and fruits for him. The children have been helping grow and care for the plants/flowers as well as their duties to Fronk’s daily care. We added in other flowers and herbs to the wall pallet, to attract all wildlife to the garden to ensure it is a garden for all – the colourful paint helps this too.

Fronk in his garden

Water collection station

Recording flower

We found a story about a tortoise called Albert – Albert Upside Down. This story is about helping each other - something that we promote at Glenburgh. The children have been enjoying this story and we have purchased the follow up story – Albert and The Wind. The garden has comfortable cushions for the children to sit and read the story whilst Fronk is exploring. We also added in a Recording Flower so that the children can record their own stories, thoughts and feelings.

We have managed to secure funding to ensure the upkeep and sustainability of the garden with SLC Food Strategy Fund and we have had soil and seed donations from Healthy and Happy Community Group. We have added in a rain water collecting station using recycled pipes and a watering can we already had – our original plan with bottles didn’t work out. This is to allow us to water all the plants and flowers easily. The garden is placed near the nursery entrance in our sensory garden that all children access and is showcased for all families to see. Lots of staff and children have been involved in the whole process – it is an ongoing team effort, just like the story – helping each other.

When the competition has finished, one of our parents are a furniture maker and has volunteered to help make a second pallet garden that can be placed in another garden within the nursery area – Fronk will be spoiled for choice! This has been a whole team effort, and long may it continue.

We think our garden will help care for our pet so well. The children will have the opportunity to take care of real living things and can foster a love of gardening for purpose and joy.

Upside down house

Fronk enjoying the garden

Colours in the sun

Garden Design