Spring bulbs

Our spring bulbs have really been enjoying the warmer weather recently. It is a shame we are not at school to see how beautiful and colourful they are. They really brighten up our playground.

Eco News

CAMEO Club 

Pupils from the Gardening Club, shared their gardening knowledge and expertise with members of Houston’s CAMEO Club. They gave a very clear and informative presentation on all the fruit and vegetables they had successfully grown from seed to the harvest stage.

The members were very impressed, especially Mrs Dawson. Afterwards the pupils engaged in gardening word searches and crossword puzzles with the members of the club.

The pupils received a lovely thank you gift for their efforts.

October News

Pupils from the school Gardening Club went to plant spring bulbs and fill planters at a supported living complex in Johnstone, in partnership with Quarriers and B & Q. 

The residents will be able to enjoy spending time in their sensory garden all year round. The pupils had a great time and even got a special thank you treat from the residents.

August 2019

Our school gardening club has resumed and they have already harvested a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Our inter-generational club, picked juicy black currants and then made them into delicious jelly.

Helping Others

Pupils from the school gardening club went to plant spring bulbs and fill planters at a supported living complex in Johnstone in partnership with Quarriers and B & Q. The residents will be able to enjoy spending time in their sensory garden all year round. The pupils had a great time and even got a special thank you treat from the residents.

December News

Last session the Gardening Club grew spectacular sunflowers. At the end of the season the flower heads were hung up indoors until the seeds were dry enough to be collected, put into small packets and sold at the Garden Stall at the Christmas Fayre to raise funds for next years plants.

They have also been busy trimming the bushes at the Main Entrance and helping classes to plant their spring bulbs.

Our Year at Gardening Club 2018

The Gardening Club Harvest is well under way but it has taken a lot of hard work and waiting to get there.

In February we planted sweet pea and sunflower seeds in pots.

In March we chitted and planted potatoes in bags.

We pruned the fruit trees in the orchard and put some fertiliser around the roots.

We planted some bare root hedging near the car park.

We pruned the rose at the main entrance.

We cleared the raised beds, weeded and hoed the soil

 

In April we sowed carrots, turnip, lettuce, radish and carrots in the raised beds as well as planting out the sweet pea and sunflower seedlings – that was after we had weeded and hoed the soil in the beds.

We also watered the seedlings.

We planted pea seeds and bean seeds in pots.

We planted potatoes outside.

 

In May we cut down the daffodils at the Main Entrance, pulled out the wallflowers and planted begonias.

We put up nets for the peas and beans.

We watered and weeded as well as planting out cabbages and brussel sprout plants.

We planted leek plants in tubes to make longer white bits and to protect the plants. It also allows the water and fertiliser to get right to the plant.

In June we planted out the peas and beans.

We cut down the daffodils in the raised beds and planted geraniums.

We tied up the sunflowers and made sure the sweet peas were clinging on to the net using their tendrils.

We picked the first radish and lettuce and sowed some more.

We lifted the potatoes in the bags for a competition, washed them and weighed them and took them home to eat.

We got our first look at the polytunnel and planted tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and peppers. We had to water them often.

 

In the summer holidays the gardening grannies and grandpas watered the raised beds, and looked after the plants in the polytunnel, feeding them every week and watering every day (it was very hot!) as well as opening the doors each morning and closing them each evening.

 

In August we harvested lots of tomatoes and cucumbers and courgettes from the polytunnel and learned how to look after the tomato plants.

We took the dead heads off the sweet peas and tied up the sunflowers again.

We took home some cabbage, turnips, lettuce, peas and beans, radish and rhubarb.

We took sweet peas into all the P6 classrooms every week.

We got a few strawberries to eat and also some raspberries.

 

In September we got more tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes. We finished off the peas and beans and harvested the apples (and a few plums). We think the birds were very partial to the cherries since there were none left.

We lifted the first of the carrots and took more cabbage and lettuce and radish home as well.

We gave Mrs Murray and Mrs McPherson some sweet peas.

We are making new strawberry plants by pinning down the “runners” in pots with a hairpin.

 

In October we lifted the rest of the potatoes. We are leaving the leeks till we have time to make leek and potato soup. And we will leave the sprouts till we can fry them with some butter and bacon.

We are clearing up the sweet pea stalks and drying the sunflower seeds to sell at the Christmas Fair and throughout the village.

We are making sure that the rest of the beds are clear of plants for the winter and will soon be planting bulbs to make a nice display in the spring.

 

We have done lots more but all of this shows what hard work it is to grow our food – but it is worth the effort and the wait because it is delicious to eat. And we have enjoyed sharing with our class and our teachers and families.