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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