Grow Your Own Potatoes

Launched in 2005, Grow Your Own Potatoes (GYOP) was one of the first primary school based growing projects. Since then it has become the largest of its kind with almost 1 million children signed up for 2010 learning where potatoes come from, how they grow and that potatoes are a healthy food. Its simplicity and the fact that GYOP is a hands on activity makes it perfect for young pupils.

Schools that register to take part (in Feb) receive a FREE growing kit containing everything they need to grow a successful crop.

Visit the GYOP website for more information.

Click here to visit my website for more about growing potatoes in containers

Alan Roman have a good choice of seed potatoes - their website also includes lots of information about individual varieties and potato growing in general.

Harrod Horticultural also have planters available too click here

Sunflowers and sheds - a production for children

Suitable for children aged 5-8 and their families.

World Premiere

M6 Theatre Company presents

Sunflowers and Sheds

Directed and Scripted by Gilly Baskeyfield & Dot Wood

Devised by M6 Theatre Company

Designed by Joss Mazen

Original music by Tayo Akinbode

Cast: Eve Robertson and Luke Walker

NATIONAL PRESS PERFORMANCES:

Saturday 6th November at 11am & 1pm, Lyric Hammersmith

Monday 8th November at 1.30pm & 3.30pm, Unicorn Theatre

From M6 Theatre Company, comes Sunflowers & Sheds a tender and heart-warming story of discovery, sure to inspire and delight audiences young and old alike. This enchanting new production is set to tour the UK from 30th Oct – 22 December.

 

On the allotments down by the railway, Frank’s peaceful routine is turned upside down by the arrival of lively Isabella and her chickens on the neighbouring plot. Through the changing seasons, the seeds of friendship grow side by side with the raspberries, runner beans, memories and dreams.

 

Underscored with original music, let the colourful world of Sunflowers & Sheds take you on a journey that will capture your heart and imaginations.

Co Director Dorothy Wood said about the production, “I chose to set the story of this unlikely friendship on the fertile ground of an allotment - a place where the patchwork and diversity of people and plants grow side by side.

 

Sunflowers and Sheds gives children the opportunity to watch this special friendship develop and to discover what lies beneath the surface - of soil and people!

 

Through a visually delightful set, original music and strong emotional journey, we rediscover - that surprises are more enjoyable and disappointments more bearable, when shared with a friend.”

Sunflowers and Sheds will tour the UK from 30th October until the 22nd December. For further information on the tour visit

http://www.m6theatre.co.uk/

Plastic Bottle Greenhouse

Thanks to Isaac Newton Primary school in Grantham for sending me photographs and information about how they built their own greenhouse from plastic bottles.

To read more click here

Don't forget I'd really love to receive information about your school gardening project

Studying the weather

Studying the weather is an ideal project for linking to gardening activities as the weather conditions and climate very much affect how we garden and what we grow.

A study of the weather also provides real life opportunities for the pupils to study and create charts and graphs.

In our garden we have set up a weather station that feeds information to our computer. Data has been collected since October 2009 and so almost covers a full year. The charts and type of station used has changed during this time as we continue to learn and improve.

If you study the weather then you may like to check the following:

The Green Lane Weather Diary this is updated daily wherever possible and includes short comments on how the weather is affecting our gardening.

The weather station sends real time information to this web page. On most days this is updated every 15 minutes - although at times when we are unable to leave our computer connected to the internet this feature will be suspened.

Monthly weather summaries are also provided on our web site from this link

Most of the charts can be viewed at full size by clicking on the images. If there is other types of information that would prove useful then please post a comment and if possible we will try and help.

Welcome back

I hope all of you who work in schools had a great summer break and hope that your new school year gets off to a good start.

I also hope that your school garden has survived your absence, that the weeds haven't grown too high and that you still have some fruit and vegetables left worth harvesting.

Gardening tasks for September are listed on my website here

Also do please consider sending me some information about your school gardning activities to add to my example pages here 

Getting started next term

SOLD OUT

If you want to get a start on your vegetable patch but don't have the time to sow seeds and wait for them to grow enough to plant out then these offers from Suttons and Dobies may be of interest.

Suttons seeds are offering a bundle of winter vegetable plants, seeds and seed potatoes

ALL THIS FOR JUST £14.95! - PLUS FREE 1kg of Carlingford Potatoes

36 Plug Plants, 4 seed packets + 1kg Carlingford Potatoes FREE!

Price: £14.95
 
If you are interested click here

Dobies Seeds have almost the same offer but minus the seeds and seed potatoes. Exactly the same plug plants (variety and number) without the potatoes and seeds for £9.95. For us it's a better option.
We've ordered this offer from Dobies  We had this offer last year and were very satisfied with what was produced.