News

We have enjoyed another year of gardening, pond dipping and cultivating the school allotment. A core of students from the main school have sown and weeded, watered and trimmed, and occasionally snacked through lunchtimes.  Students from our Sixth Form have volunteered every Monday afternoon and achieved great things. 

The garden is supported by a charity called Papillon who provide advice, resources and expert volunteers. In mid June we accepted their gracious invitation to celebrate their 5 year anniversary at Raveningham Gardens – a beautiful house with stunning formal gardens and estate. It was a glorious summer evening, there were drinks (which we admired from afar…) and canapes before an entertaining short speech by Adam Frost from BBC Gardener’s World. We explored the gorgeous grounds and stared longingly at the immaculate walled garden. Then we drove home via MacDonalds… 

At the end of June we took our Bee Garden exhibit to the Royal Norfolk Show. Beth’s brilliant idea was to make a bee out of French Magnolias to represent the orange stripes, with black painted stones. Our concept was to bring as much of the school garden as possible to the show, and to demonstrate the bee friendly elements of a mixed garden with natural growing. We grew the marigolds in the hexagonal low plant pots so they could be transferred easily. We used white Agaratum, which is pale and gauzy, to suggest the bee’s wings, and added painted leaves and sticks for shape.  We surrounded the bee with flowers that grow easily in Norfolk gardens and would attract bees.  Mr Pickering built a model beehive from old packaging material. To display our roses and attract bees at the show, we put bouquets of them in wellies around the display with some foxgloves. The judges awarded us a Silver certificate. It was a lovely day out admiring gardens and enjoying all the exhibits at the Norfolk Show. 

Next year our garden will be relocating to a new space on the school grounds.  Items for hard landscaping such as pallets will be needed, and any donations of compost will be very much appreciated. 

Thank you to all the students for their hard work over the year. 

Mrs Tyrer, Mr Pickering and Mr Griffiths