A team of five Year 8 students headed to the beautiful Harlow Carr Gardens for the launch of Green Plan It, a school gardening project spearheaded by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Our students joined 10 teams from schools across North Yorkshire to find out more about this exciting project to research, plan, design and build a model of a garden. The student-led project encourages students to discover and appreciate the wonderful world of plants, and rethink the role of green spaces.
The students gained an insight into all aspects of plants and planting skills before they were invited on a tour of the gardens. This triggered the students to think creatively about green spaces and plants, considering how they might be used when designing a green space at school or within the local community. They explored how important plants are to our everyday lives, from food, shelter medicine, to urban cooling, biodiversity and health and wellbeing, and learnt about designing different green spaces and the key elements that they contain.
The students are paired with a volunteer horticultural mentor so benefit from the knowledge and experience of a gardening expert. Their mentor offers guidance on designing a garden and will work with them throughout the project.
The day inspired the students and they are currently in full swing designing their garden, ready for the celebration event in December where they will present their model and design concepts to a panel of judges.
This is a great initiative that not only opens up the students’ minds about how plants affect people and the planet, but helps develop their confidence, leadership and decision-making skills as well as creativity and teamwork. In addition, students are encouraged to consider community needs and environmental issues, as well growing their understanding of how plants and nature play a valuable role in our lives.