Add flowers to your vegetable patch.

You may have heard gardeners talk about companion planting. This practice is based on the belief by many gardeners that certain plant groupings are in some way beneficial.

There is much argument as to whether some aspects of this belief has any scientific basis. An investigation into whether certain plant combinations work or not could form an interesting investigation for children to undertake; for instance do nasturtiums attract aphids away from broad beans or do marigolds repel whitefly away from tomatoes.

There is little doubt, however that flowers do attract beneficial insects which can only be a good thing. They provide another dimension to a vegetable patch. Not only by providing colour and the opportunity to study insects at close quarters but also by providing a crop of cut flowers for the classroom.

If you have space a patch of native wild flowers is especially effective in supporting a range of indigenous insects. A patch of nettles tucked away in a corner will provide a food plant for many butterfly caterpillars (don't worry not cabbage whites!) and the leaves (not roots) can be used on the compost heap. Also a patch of grass that is allowed to form seed heads attracts many insects. To provide a food supply for as many insects as possible you need to choose different shapes of flowers e.g. tube shapes and daisy shapes.and also have some flowers that grow throughout the season.

More information is available if you click here

Big School Birdwatch

When I first started teaching I was amazed at how my class of 9 year old children couldn't even identify the most common of garden birds. Some thought that the smaller birds were babies and the larger ones were the mums and dads.

The Big Schools' Birdwatch provides an opportunity to help children appreciate the birds that they probably see every day but don't even notice. There is also special activity in which nursery children can get involved - Little Schools' Birdwatch

Click on the links to find out more, even if you don't take part in the Birdwatch you will find lots of ideas, activities and resources to use with children.

Although the Birdwatch started on 18 January it isn't too late to join in!

Guzzler - a Talking Story

Guzzler - Talking Story- (Windows only)

Aimed at KS1 (6 - 7 year olds) but could be used with Lower KS2 especially children learning difficulties.

Although not exactly a garden pig this resource would link in with a vegetable growing project.

Guzzler is a pig with a flaw in his character - he eats anything he can get his snout onto. But one day he goes too far and has to be taught a lesson.

The text employs repetition and provides opportunity to study how the vocabulary used conveys what the characters are feeling.

A PDF version is provided which can be printed for children to read away from the computer. This provides opportunity to compare electronic and paper based books. The talking story provides an opportunity for the children to become familiar with the use of an electronic text.

Guzzler is a fully illustrated and narrated talking story which can be used with a whole class, small group or by individual children.

The narration is activated by a sound button on each page. For children needing support with their reading they can attempt to read without the narration and then use the narration to check their accuracy or they can play the narration and listen before attempting to read unsupported.

As the narration is playing the words being spoken are highlighted in red.

Each page requires the reader to click on animal or object to activate a sound. To exit the story, at any point, tap the escape button on your keyboard.

Click here to read more

Free Potato Growing Kits for Schools

The potato council are offering free potato growing kits to schools who register with them. The kits include supporting lesson plans and worksheets and for a chance to win prizes for your school by entering a competition once you have harvested your crops.

The website also has free resources and information focusing on growing and cooking potatoes. Click here to visit their website.

Have you noticed any difference?

I have been working on tidying up this blog and also slightly adapting the template to give a wider publishing area. It's always a nervous moment when you enter the world of HTML but I don't think any disaster has occurred yet!!

Hope that you think there has been an improvement!

Harrod Horticultural Offer 10% discount on some items to our visitors

Harrod Horticultural are continuing to offer 10% discount on their range of timber raised beds and netting etc for anyone ordering from them after linking from any of my Harrod links from this blog and sister blogs and websites.

To qualify you must also quote Green Lane at the checkout.

Harrod have increased their range of timber raised beds. These include some triangular, and manger shaped structures as well as some raised on legs. To view their range of raised beds click here

For their range of garden netting and materials click here