Jigsaw School welcomed the judges from Guildford in Bloom to judge their entry in the Schools’ competition. This year’s theme is `Food for Nature and Food for Me’ and our pupils have been busy during their GARDENworks sessions with Horticulture Tutor, Kay Baines, designing and preparing our entry.
Pupils started with a garden plan of what they would like to grow and learnt about what plants need to survive. They then thought about how to attract and support wildlife in the garden.
They tried companion planting to fit a lot into a small space and mixed vegetables with flowers and fruit with herbs that help each other. The resulting garden includes carrots, marigold, potatoes, beetroot, aubergine, basil, sweetcorn, nasturtium, peas, poppies, tomatoes, onions, leeks, pansy, blackcurrant, strawberries, mint, beans and more!
Kay says, “Companion planting is not only beneficial on saving space, but it helps to attract bees and butterflies, discourages pests and can improve the soil. Our soil is recycled and is boosted by our own compost and we are a peat and chemical-free garden.” Kay continues, “We were delighted that the judges commented on how much diversity there was in a small space!”
Judging for the annual competition takes place in June with the School in Bloom Awards in July.
We wish Kay and our pupils the very best with their entry.
