Happy Christmas from all of us at Milbourne Lodge

All quiet in the garden at the moment : weather still kind, but now that we're all on holidays for Christmas little will change until the New Year.

Follow the link below to view our Christmas video offering!

Happy Christmas from ML 

Click on the link to play the HD video, which can also be downloaded

And relax .....

After the excitement of the Get Your Grown-Ups Growing day last weekend, it's been a fairly quiet week in the Potager Garden.

The weather is definitely feeling a lot colder : and there's frost in the mornings so we're keeping the plants safely wrapped up under their fleeces.

The gravel which has now been raked around the raised beds is helping to keep the area accessible in this damp weather.

Amongst the items on sale on the Gift Stall last weekend were packets of seeds - each designed by pupils in L6A during their Art and ICT Lessons.  These were 'best sellers' on the stall.  Pupils painted the pictures, and designed and assembled the packets before filling them with seeds.

No doubt many will find their way into Christmas Stockings this year. 

Much of the focus now is on preparing for the next stage of finishing the Bottle Greenhouse - and we will take delivery of the balance of the 2012 Coca Cola bottles in the New Year.

We're hoping to welcome a 'Guest Speaker' to the garden before the end of term to discuss with pupils what they may possibly grow in the greenhouse once it has been completed. 

Pupils' Thoughts....

Benji Tozer /Form 2

During the ICT/Art lesson on Monday we asked some of the pupils to write down their thoughts following the Garden Day.  Here is what 4a wrote. 

Alex O'Callaghan Brown : 'On Saturday 26th November I went to the Milbourne Lodge Centenary Garden 'Get Your Grown-Ups Growing' day.  I put soil into tubs and planted bulbs.  I also shovelled gravel into buckets that was then poured into the Potager Garden to make it more attractive.  I helped to build one side of the bottle greenhouse'.

Anton McGroarty/Form 2

Robert Parham : 'On Saturday I helped tremendously with the building of the greenhouse.  I worked on my own, helping to dig the foundations of the greenhouse.  I also helped to build one panel of the wall with some parents.  Together we slotted together 250 bottles to form the wall.  During this term our vegetable seedlings have grown so we can have more Salad Days!  I am looking forward to the root vegetables being harvested at the end of term'.



Aren Sargood : 'On Saturday I arrived at school with my camera, ready for the photography competition.  Excited, I ran towards the board to see what the first theme was ... R.H.S... It stuck in my mind.  I was a bit confused : but, I thought to myself  'they're selling tomato soup'.  I thought 'Yes - Red Hot Soup'.  I ran the refreshments table and took a picture of the soup.  I ran back to the laptop, plugged in my memory card and waited for the picture to transfer onto to the computer. I thought to myself 'I have a chance!'.  The clock said 10:20 I would have a long wait until the bell rang....'  

Leo Mills/Form 2

(Editorial Note - Aren was the deserved Runner Up in this category.  His enthusiasm and lateral thinking are highly commended)

Duncan Tarboton: ' I can see changes in the garden.  Some of the bottle greenhouse has been built - one wall - and the foundations have been dug.  The garden looks much more attractive too.'


Casper Webb:  'Last Saturday I arrived at Milbourne Lodge to help with the Centenary Garden day.  Some of the events included - a series of photography competitions, a 'Tree of Thoughts' and building the first side of the bottle greenhouse from Coca Cola bottles'.

Morgan McLucas/Form 2

Lavan Suriyar : ' On Saturday I helped tremendously to even out the stones and gravel where the soil is.  I also helped to put the Coca Cola bottles onto the frame.  I entered the photographic competition with Frank and Ben when the subject, at that point, was RHS (Royal Horticultural Society).  Although I joined their group and gave them the idea for making the letters RHS out of brick, I took no credit for the job because I did not really think that I did much of the work, because I came up with the idea but  I didn't actually take part in building the word out of bricks .(Editorial Note - Lavan will be awarded a belated prize for his role in this award-winning entry!  )

I have realised that the plants have definitely grown since a week ago, and I cannot wait until we get to eat some of the vegetables again at the end of term'.

Arvind Panesar/Form 2

Nathan Janmohammed : 'Since I wasn't there I'm just going to say what I think is different now.  Firstly, on Saturday they put gravel around the raised beds.  It looks amazing.  One other thing I noticed is that all the salad leaves have been eaten'! (Editorial Note - They went into the rolls for lunch on Saturday)





Arjun Bajwa: I can see what has changed in the Potager Garden.  As I wasn't at school on Saturday I wasn't there to witness the changes that were being made.  When I looked at the garden earlier today I was shocked by how great the changes were.

Avisha Gill/Form 2

Holes have been dug for the poles to support the Coca Cola bottle greenhouse that our plants will go into.  Small stones have been put on the ground where the raised beds are and one side of the greenhouse has been built.'




Henry Bole : 'I can see what has changed in the garden.  It found it really fun digging in the beginning.  It was a wonderful idea to make a 'Tree of Thoughts' as everybody got to express their opinion of what it was like on the day.  I loved it'


Prithvi Kohli: I can see what has changed in the garden. We have added pea-gravel to the ground where the raised beds sit.  I think this new addition looks more attractive.  The plants in the raised beds are bigger now.  We have started to build our Coca Cola greenhouse.  So far we have built one wall.' 

Minjae Jeong/Form 2

Form 2S also recorded their thoughts:

Henry Woolhouse:  On Saturday I went to the Rowan Christmas Fair, with my sister, and I also went to the Milbourne Lodge gardening day.  It was fun.  I hammered the greenhouse.


Cameron Dejahang: The garden is different now.  Gravel is on the ground.  I cut vegetables and made holes in the ground.

Harry Finlay-Brothers/Form 2

Lydia Sandwell: On Saturday they dug holes, filled pots with mud (Ed. Note - compost), put wooden beams on all sides of the garden and filled the garden with stones.


Ollie Hobday: On Saturday at the Garden Day I played with my cousin,  I looked after my cousin,I ran with my cousin, I ate with my cousin, I bought a tree, I took photos with my cousin and I put the gravel out .


Elliot Rousseau: At the weekend I went to the Garden Day.  I bought a tree.  I dug holes to plant bulbs. I got a Hot Chocolate.

Eve Bearfield/Form 2

Jonathan Keeler: On Saturday I came to the Garden Party.  I cut the bottles. I ate donuts.  I watched people shovel rocks.  I put the bottles together on a stick.  I came with my family.


Felix Costa.  When I went to the Garden Day all I did was eat.  I ate and ate.  With Anton.  I bought a Hot Chocolate and lots of sweets.  I bought some flowers to grow for my Mum.

Pierre Devitt : On Saturday I helped shovel rocks.  I ate all day.  I chopped bottles.

Luke Markham/Form 2

Tashy Baker : I came to the Milbourne Lodge Garden Day with my family.  I put the bottles together.  I entered the photography competitions.


Roma Gupta : Gravel was put on the ground.  Part of the greenhouse was built.


Nathaniel Reilly: The garden has changed quite a lot because the gravel has been put down.  A quarter of the greenhouse has been built.  We dug holes for the poles.  We have put bulbs in pots.

Ella Nigrelli/Form 2

Form 2K designed these 'Wellington Boot' images by taking an outline of the boot, writing down all the text by brainstorming as a class  the words that sprang to mind after the weekend.  These they wrote on a FlipChart.

Having saved their designs , they then imported them into Photoshop and used the tools there to change the image from Greysacle to Colour and to resize and edit their final work. 

Get Your Grown Ups Growing Day

Video : www.vimeo.com/channels/mlcreative (scroll to the two most recent videos uploaded)
            * also collage of photographs added 28/11/11

Photographs : www.flickr.com/photos/mlcreative (all photos in Set 'Get Your Grown Ups Growing')
            * Entries to the 'One Autumn Day' photographic competition added 28/11/11

The day began early with preparations and a little apprehension about how many would join us.

By 10:00 am everything was ready and people began to arrive with their spades and family in tow.

We needn't have worried.

The early arrivals began cutting the bases from hundreds of Coca Cola bottles. These would be used to make the walls of our Greenhouse.

The gift store provided a colourful show as other volunteers arrived. Rob Waite was on hand and was quick to grab some strong looking Fathers  - and our Headmaster -  to dig and prepare the location for the uprights. It would be hard work here because there were a number of big roots to work around.

Beneath the gazebo our 60 minute  "One Autumn Day' photographic competition was unfolding and the first theme of 'R.H.S.' was announced. Children enthusiastically scattered with their cameras in search of the best shot.

By this stage a large pile of cut bottles were ready for the next group of helpers to assemble; one inside another.  Many enjoyed building their long tubes of bottles and threading bamboo canes inside.

The bell rang which marked the end of our first hour and a chance to see the results of our first photo challenge. A large group assembled infront of the steps and winners were announced.

After a welcome hot drink at the refreshment table, run by our 'Friends of Milbourne Lodge", it was back to work with the ever increasing numbers.

A huge variety of tasks could now be allocated including preparing and sweeping the garden area ready to lay gravel around the raised beds. We placed straw around our carrots to provide warmth and protection. 

 Younger pupils oiled our new tubs, filled them with compost and began to plant a variety of mixed daffodils and grape hyacinth bulbs. A group of chatting mothers were quickly tasked to join up our new information labels which have been made in Art and ICT lessons. 

Now it was time for everyone to lay the gravel using spades, buckets and rakes. Great fun was had by all! This was made possible by a very handy Dad who had just completed edging the garden with treated timber to stop the gravel spilling over onto the playground.  

The bottle columns, for our greenhouse, were now placed on our first wooden frame and a family set too to hammer them securely onto the frame using fencing staples.

Meanwhile the Photograhy Competition continued successfully running every hour with many eager contestants keen to win  sweets and Garsons Farm vouchers donated by our sponsors. The standard of entries was very high and the pupils work was quickly and efficiently printed and displayed on our noticeboard with the help of a recent old boy who worked tirelessly all day! 

  As well as this competition everyone was asked to add a comment on our "Tree of Thoughts" - which had began the day as a bare tree and by now was laden with wonderful leaves and comments about our event.

Lunch was provided by Waitrose in the form of large rolls filled with ham and freshly picked salad leaves which pupils had harvested from our school garden earlier in the morning.

To our amazement families were still arriving and new jobs needed to be found! The area set aside for the greenhouse was quickly covered with weed membrane and many children helped to tap in the pegs around the edges.

Finally everyone present gathered under our first completed greenhouse wall for a group photograph to celebrate the completion of our first panel.

There was just time for a final visit to the gift shop to take home a garden souvenir.

It had been a long but hugely productive day with over 200 people including pupils, siblings, parents, teachers and friends all working so hard to achieve so much in our garden.

A huge thank you to everyone who gave up their day to come and help us. Let's hope we have inspired some new future gardeners !

First wall of the greenhouse completed successfully !

R.H.S.

Every 60 minutes during the Family Gardening Day yesterday there was a photography competition - entitled 'One Autumn Day.'  The themes changed each hour


First theme was won by Ben Ray and Frank Bone.  A more enthusiastic duo I could not find - in fact they also won a 'lifetime achievement award' as they entered photographs for each and every theme.

Who Am I ?

What am I ?

We simply couldn't decide between two photographs for the theme 'What am I?' - so we chose joint winners.

Fistly, Sophie Lonnon and Ella Nigrelli for the superb picture they submitted of themselves hidden among the foliage in the garden.




Also,  Aren Sargood for his 'maple leaf' thought.

The leaf is from our 'Tree of Thoughts'.  At various points throughout the day we encouraged everyone to stop what they were doing and take a leaf, write down some words in response to their activities and add them to the tree.  


Video footage of the day can be found on our Vimeo Channel which is

www.vimeo.com/channels/mlcreative or use this link to Vimeo

Modern Family

There were some really strong group and family submissions for this theme - but we felt that overall Sam Baker's photograph of his family perfectly captured the essence of what we wanted.

Eats Shoots and Leaves

Mrs O'Callaghan-Brown won this category with her photograph of Mrs Calvert. 

A huge Thank You is due to all parents who gave so willingly of their time throughout the day - many were with us from dawn to dusk.

Many arrived with gardening tools in hand and all worked tremendously hard and with the most wonderfully positive approach generating a real feeling of community spirit throughout the day.  The children could not have been better behaved, and really seemed to appreciate working in school with their parents, siblings and grandparents.

Work, Rest and Play

We had some fun waiting to see how pupils would interpret this theme - and we weren't disappointed.


The winning entry was submitted by Raphael Ziegler,  Thomas O'Callaghan-Brown  and Alexander Evans. 

Cool Colours

Finally, as the sun set and we began to think about tidying everything away we held the final competition - with a very simple theme.

We had a huge number of entries for this : but without a doubt Eve Bearfield's  photograph caught the spirit of exactly the image we wanted.

As she'd left to go home before her prize was awarded we do hope that someone has told her she has won!







A final 'Thank you' to Garsons of Esher who sponsored the competition, and Waitrose who supplied lunch for all of us.

And the last word of thanks goes to Coca Cola who will , in total, supply all 2012 bottles for our Centenary Bottle Greenhouse.
 

One Autumn Day

We all worked in the Milbourne Lodge Centenary Garden

You can find the video footage from today on our Vimeo channel

www.vimeo.com/32721698

Later today I will upload the photographs and the images created by the winners of our One Autumn Day digital photography competition

Well done one and all.  

Saturday 26th November from 10 am

It's all about Saturday right now.  Pupils are preparing for our Family Garden Day this weekend.  Read the accompanying details of just some of the events in which we hope that pupils will participate .

Coca Cola have supplied the bottles we need for our greenhouse and the main focus of the day will be starting to build this structure with the pupils.   

Our thanks to the Friends of Milbourne Lodge who will be providing the hot drinks and snacks for our teams of workers.    

Further thanks to the team at Garsons in Esher who are sponsoring our photographic competitions throughout the day.

Our thanks also to Waitrose in Esher who will be on hand to bring us filled rolls for lunch.

Remember there will be a Gift Stall too packed with a variety of interesting (garden related) presents.

Some important notes:  please feel free to join us for as long as you wish.  We imagine that we will continue working until the light fades. 

Remember to wear old, warm clothing and strong shoes or Wellington boots.   

Please wear gloves – gardening gloves if you’ve got them.  We would welcome any adults who might be able to bring spades too. 

Please don’t forget your digital camera (not a mobile phone as we can’t download the photos from these.  Images must be on a regular digital camera card only).

 

*Please note this a family event : children must be supervised by an adult family member throughout. Feel free to spend as much or as little time with us throughout the day as you wish. Pupils, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and extended family and friends are welcome to help on the day.

The Story So Far.....

As we move on to Stage 2 of the Centenary Garden project, this seemed like an appropriate moment to look back over what the pupils have achieved to date in planning, creating and tending to their potager garden this term.

A high resolution version of this montage can be downloaded from our Vimeo channel (click to follow link which will open in a new window)  Vimeo Channel

Getting ready for 'Get Your Grown-Ups Growing'

In just over a week's time we will be holding our 'Get Your Grown-Ups Growing' event as part of our participation in the RHS Campaign for School Gardening. A variety of preparations are underway in the Art and ICT departments for this .

During ICT lessons today pupils in 4a and 4b have created a series of posters to advertise the event. It's been wonderful to see the enthusiasm and creativity this event is already generating : and we're hoping for a large turnout of pupils, parents - and grandparents - on the day.

We have been extremely fortunate in securing the support of Coca Cola who will be supplying all 2012 bottles required to build our eco-greenhouse .



On the day there will also be a fast moving digital photography competition : with a new theme (and prizewinner!) each hour, a gift stall selling seeds, bulbs and plants, plus we're intending to create a 'Thought Tree' with leaves added by pupils as they write down the words and feelings that the day inspires in them. Pupils in L6a have been designing their own seed packets in Art and ICT lessons, having  studied the wonderful Vilmorin fine art prints. They will fill these packets with seeds which are suitable for sowing during the Spring months.

Week ten in our Potager Garden has seen the daily temperatures dropping. The nights are now chilly and the there has not been much sun on the beds during the day.

For these reasons we decided to keep the poly covers on the vegetable beds throughout the day to keep them warm and moist.

The senior classes have been drawing accurate sketches of our Bottle Greenhouse (the photograph shows the pencil sketch created by Harry Hesketh-Prichard in M6).

 The two models photographed here have been made from smoothie straws,  by a very large group of senior classes each making different panels in their lesson (3A, 3B, 4A , L6B, and M6).

The models, (12th scale and 8th scale), allow us to see exactly how the bottle panels will fit together. The straws have been used to replicate the positions of the bottles.


Next weekend we hope to be able to serve soup and rolls to those working during the Get Your Grown-Ups Growing day, and with a little luck we'll be able to make these rolls using salad from the vegetable garden. We're hopeful that our local Waitrose store in Esher will support us with the food and hot drinks on the day. 

On Thursday two huge bags containing 500 Coca-Cola bottles arrived in the Milbourne Lodge foyer. We just about managed to squeeze them upstairs into the Art room! We will need lots and lots of help on the day to prepare the bottles so please come along and join in.


Just time to mention Ben Thompson's gardening tip of the week for our young gardeners   Ben is part of the team at Garsons Farm in Esher - our local garden centre, garden shop and nursery. 

This week he says 'make your own compost - it's the ultimate in recycling'. You can read more about how to do it here -  Garsons Farm Composting

RHS Campaign for Gardening in Schools - Benchmark 4. Achieved !

It's now Week 9 of our Centenary Potager Garden and we have just heard the exciting news that the school has passed Benchmark Four- "Sharing Best Practice". This means that the children now have the rest of term to concentrate on passing the final and hardest Benchmark Five set out by the RHS "Campaign for School Gardening".

In order to achieve this goal the pupils need to "celebrate with the wider community" . 

With this in mind phase two of our Centenary Garden project was unveiled in lessons this week. Milbourne pupils and the wider community are going to plan, design and construct their own Eco Centenary Greenhouse from 2012 empty plastic bottles! We are so fortunate as Coca-Cola UK has agreed to sponsor and join our project by providing empty recycled 2L bottles from their production line.

We have invited our parents, grand-parents, friends and sponsors to come to Milbourne Lodge School on Saturday 26th November at 10.00am for a day of activities in and around the garden.

We shall be preparing the bottles, making the wooden frame structure as well as taking part in a photography marathon, a Post-It note tree project and selling garden gifts made by our pupils. Please support our venture as 'many hands make light work' and this is a huge project which will need everyone's help! 

We are however desperate to find a carpenter or anyone who feels able to help with building the simple mitred wooden frames. Can you help?  Please email Mrs Bawden at school.

Today we celebrated our second Salad Bar tasting at lunchtime and once again the pupils' plates were brimming over with fresh leaves! The enthusiasm again was so encouraging and made our garden project seem so worthwhile. 

Earlier on in the week small solar power lights were installed around the garden and we began to lay out a new weed membrane over the far end of the plot.  However, after overnight rain, it has become apparent that this membrane is not very porous and it will sadly need to be replaced.

Finally, our good friends at Garsons Farm in Esher are preparing for Christmas, and awaiting the arrival of Rocket the Reindeer.

You can find out more by visiting Garsons Farm website.  We asked Ben Thompsom from Garsons for his top tips for our gardeners this week.

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 Ben says: Carrots can be pulled up now : just in time to sharpen your eyesight as the evenings are getting darker!  As it gets colder, bare patches will start appearing in the vegetable patch.  Dig it over and spread manure over the top to enrich the soil.

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Shorter days and longer nights.

Work has begun on clearing the extended garden site (now that the holly hedge has been cut down)  but unfortunately the discovery of pieces of broken window glass in the soil has  restricted how much help we can call for from pupils! We have all noticed how dark it is in the evenings and it has been suggested that we should install some solar powered lights to help with this problem

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All the plants have continued to grow very quickly this week and have taken advantage of the odd shower! The broad beans in particular have shot up and have now reached the top of their poly cover. The tips of their leaves show signs of flowers beginning,which means it won't be too long before we will need to 'pinch out' the top part of the plant to encourage our pods to develop.

The giant red mustard leaves are turning a wonderful purple colour as the weather begins to turn a bit colder.

Back in the classroom Year 1 and 2 have been completing their own colourful Garden Journal covers and have been busy attaching their Art and ICT bookmarks with plaited wool.

Many of the senior classes have been using paint and pastels to try to capture the amazing variegated colours of pumpkins and squashes.

 During their ICT lesson this week Form 4b created an entire  summary of useful gardening vocabulary.

4a have just begun work on creating their own database of all the plants which are currently growing in the Centenary Vegetable Garden.  This will include both the common and Latin names for each vegetable.  

There's plenty to keep everyone busy over the next few weeks.  

Now you see it : now you don't !

Holly Bush in place- 3:45pm Friday

It may be half-term, but that hasn't stopped us working on the garden.  There was, until this afternoon, a rather ugly, unsightly (and very prickly) holly hedge outside the Dining Hall and immediately next to the raised beds in the Centenary Vegetable Garden.  No good to man nor beast : it's only purpose appeared to be to regularly scratch unsuspecting youngsters who leant too close.  This afternoon it was removed - leaving space for Phase 2 of the Centenary Garden project.  As they say - now you see it : now you don't.   All shall be revealed shortly.

Ready for Phase 2 - 5:45pm Friday

If you look at the photographs : the first was taken at 3.45pm, the second at 5.45pm.  The roots have been removed too - which leaves a clear, flat area for the next stage of the project.  Any guesses?  

Before half-term Casper set up the PlantCam to watch the fall of the autumn leaves from one of the large trees behind the Science Lab.  Hopefully he'll return to school to find a series of time-lapse images of the tree shedding its leaves.  This he will then edit, and post on next week's blog update.

Nearly ready for the Salad Bar!

And what of the four raised beds themselves?  Again, the weather has been kind : sunlight, rain and warm temperatures mean that everything has grown fantastically over the last seven days.

Take a look at this image photographed this afternoon.  A very healthy crop awaits our return. In fact, it shouldn't be too long before we can again enjoy a Friday lunchtime 'Salad Bar' at school.

In particular, the runner beans, carrots and herb baskets have made fantastic progress. 

All the hard work and preparation the pupils put in during the early part of the term has been worth it.   The weather is so good at present that we have opened the 'windows' on the poly covers to allow the plants to breathe over the weekend.

 

Garsons Farm, Esher

And finally a mention for our friends at Garsons Farm in Esher, who have been so supportive of our project.  They have just launched their new website - which now includes a Community Section and  features our Centenary Garden blog. Visit their website  www.garsons.co.uk and follow the links to the Milbourne Lodge project.