Appeal for school gardeners (From Northwich Guardian)

Appeal for school gardeners to take part in prestigious show

2:30pm Tuesday 21st February 2012 in News By Gina Bebbington

A PLEA has gone out to Northwich pupils to tap into their flower power ready for the RHS show at Tatton this summer.

Schools are being urged to grow a children’s TV programme-themed creation for the children’s front-to-front garden category at the flower show.

Project lead Kevin Smith, from Oaklands School, helped to establish the category five years ago.

He said: “It’s growing in RHS circles.

“It took several years of negotiation through health and safety but now we have a huge area fenced off for the children to work in.

“My school, Oaklands in Winsford, entered the official back-to-back section and that’s how it started.

“Then the next year we went back with eight schools and it’s slowly built up over the past five years.”

He said this year so far he has had interest from schools in Winsford, Warrington and even Derbyshire, but none from Northwich.

“We still have spaces and we would like it if we could get more schools in from the local area, regardless of age and ability group,” he said.

Schoolchildren design the gardens themselves and have to spend a maximum of £300 on plants, which they can raise in any way they like.

“One school’s been baking and selling cakes,” he said.

“Another school’s getting all and sundry involved.

“It can be quite a big community thing and that’s the fun of it, what the project is about.

“It’s getting kids involved with the community, with people of different ages, to build and develop their garden.”

For more information ring Kevin on 01565 733486 or email the_smith@sky.com.