Pupils invited to design a miniature garden linking sustainability and heritage

Our annual Pocket Garden Design Competition is now open for entries. 

In partnership with Garden for Life Forum, we’re inviting nursery and school pupils, aged three to 18, to design a miniature pocket-sized garden which includes food for people, is good for wildlife and reuses something.

And, we are offering educators the chance to attend a free session on Wednesday 22 January at 16:00 to find out more about the 2025 theme, hear about the support available, and see inspiring examples of what schools have achieved in past years.  You can register for this session today.

The 2025 competition has a new theme ‘Our heritage, to inspire pupils’ designs, whether it be monuments, traditional crafts, food or natural heritage – our heritage can tell a powerful story about our places, communities and what we choose to protect or remember.

Additionally, in recognition of Keep Scotland Beautiful celebrating 25 years as a Scottish charity we are inviting designers to weave a silver thread through competition entries.

The designers of the best entries will be invited to build and grow their garden at school before filming or photographing it to be displayed as part of an online interactive garden in June where people will be able to vote for their favourite.

Last year, the charity received more than 100 entries to the competition from 19 local authority areas with the work of 30 finalists being displayed in a digital showcase. 

Eve Keepax, Education and Learning Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said, “We’ve been running the Pocket Garden Design Competition for a decade, and we are excited to introduce Our Heritage as a new theme to inspire pupils’ imaginations. Exploring what we have chosen to keep from the past helps us to see what we might want to protect for the future.

“The competition provides a great way to connect children and young people with food, nature and their heritage, while creating a focus for Learning for Sustainability.  We can’t wait to see the 2025 entries and learn more about the heritage of the communities and schools who enter.

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer recognised the health benefits of Pocket Garden in his Annual Report 2023 -2024. He said it, “connects children with their food and with nature.”

Pocket Garden Design Competition aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Four, Learning for Sustainability and is run as part of our Climate Action Schools framework.

Designs must be submitted no later than Friday 21 February 2025 to pocketgarden@keepscotlandbeautiful.org and further information and inspiration from past years can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden