Tuesday 29 May 2012

No Entry

Two children came over to the garden this morning to make a drinks machine for our Tooting Princes Trust Team. They filled a container with cold water by walking from school twice with watering cans. They then dropped the cans into the water to stay cool for later.A small thankyou for a big job.

The people drilling the hole for the water pipe were also working today however when I came past on the way home our entrance was blocked off. Tomorrow the president of the RHS is coming to see the secret garden. My hope is that it is not so secret we can't get in........

Monday 28 May 2012

Prince's Trust

While class five planted their beans and sieved some stones the amazing group from the Tooting Prince's Trust managed to wrestle out this tree root.
Quite how they did I really don't know because the tools we have are a bit like using a tooth pick to dig a trench. They are back tomorrow despite the heat and I shall definitely be popping in Sainsburys to buy them some refreshments. Goodness know what they will achieve tomorrow.

 No rain has been a problem and we need to get busy if the garden is going to look half decent for our visitors on Wednesday. I am in awe of the young people who stuck it out in that heat today.


Friday 25 May 2012

The President is coming

Next week we are having a special visitor. Elizabeth Banks, President of the RHS is coming to visit our Secret Garden. Some of the year six children will be doing some background reading to make sure they welcome her properly.

Gardening Club were watering today and we still have to carry the watering cans from school. Next week Thames water are coming to start the work to connect water to the site, hurray. Everything is growing well. We had a broad bean sale today in school.The year fives sold out so quickly some children were disappointed. Luckily we have a second lot growing that will be ready to harvest next week.

Today we got a mention on the lunchtime Chelsea Flower Show' programme on the BBC. Everyone was delighted. Just think it was only a year ago we were given the beds and now they are full of fruit and vegetables in Battersea.

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Tying the knot

Today in the greenhouse two year six girls finished building the frame to support the tomatoes.  I told them what Jim had said and showed them what he had done. 'I can't tie knots miss' said one 'Then this is the perfect opportunity to practise' I said.Well together they did an amazing job. The picture is of the one who can't tie knots, tying knots.

Monday 21 May 2012

Nine ten a big fat hen

Today Jim was back in the garden so we learnt loads. The children in Class 4 learnt the name of one of the weeds 'Big Fat Hen'.

It was great to hear Jim say that we had done a good job during his absence. We had planted some of the plants too close together however apart from that he was impressed. Well done to everyone particularly Class 6.





The children had a tomato lesson and Jim told them all about the different varieties and where they came from. We have about five different varieties in the greenhouse.                                                  Jim also demonstrated how to construct a frame to support tomatoes as they grow. The aim is for them to grow tall and nip out the shoots that would make the plant too bushy.

Friday 18 May 2012

No SATS today

Class 6 were planting out the beetroot today. We were a bit worried because they looked so tiny. Ria has been brilliant at taking care of the plants. I do hope they survive.

Amba and Kyra helped her while Kian and Olivia planted the turnips. We are all hoping that the warmth and the rain will help them thrive in their new home.

Amba then turned her hand to planting the tomatoes with Kian. They found digging the holes, putting the tomatoe and the cane in quite difficult however they persisted and got the hang of it.









Jesse and Chris-Jesse sieved the soil before they planted the courgettes to make sure the plants would thrive, They did a very good job and were able to plant a good  number of the courgettes.


After that Ria watered all the newly planted seedlings to make sure they would not dry out over the weekend.

Kevin planted some pumpkins and made sure there were enough. We are hoping to grow some prize pumpkins this year.

Monday 14 May 2012

The Greenhouse comes alive

Class 5 have been busy looking after the plants in the greenhouse. We have courgettes, turnips, beetroot, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins and some peas.
Children have been very interested in where the seeds come from in the first place. Some thought they were made in factories and others thought farmers followed birds around to collect them.
We had a good look and the children started spotting the seeds for new plants in the plants they were growing. The broad beans proved very useful for this as they are almost ready to be harvested and will be the first of our produce on sale.
The fruit on the trees is beginning to swell and Class 6 have been brilliant at making sure all the trees are watered adequately for a bumper crop.

Gardening Club started on Friday and they have planted the Spring Cabbage and weeded all the beds.

Thursday 10 May 2012

Work work work

Today five different groups were working simultaneously.
1.Planting strawberries
2. Earthing up the potatoes
3. Building a support for the peas and beans
4. Weeding the beds
5.Sieving the soil in the greenhouse to take out stones.
It was impressive and all the jobs got done. My group of volunteers is getting larger and larger soon I will have to limit places, who would have thought it.

The pears are growing and the children were amazed to see them them growing underneath the flower. Science comes alive when you can see it first hand.

Class one have come back and planted some beans hopefully they will climb up the structures that have been built.

We were also visited by some people from The Princes Trust. They have gone away to decide whether they can help us buiding paths or clearing. I do hope so.

Monday 7 May 2012

It's a cover up!

After watering the fruit trees the year fives set about earthing up the potatoes. They were unsure at first as covering up the leaves of a plant seemed wrong but after some explanation and reminders of how potatoes grow they buried them with enthusiasm.

Good new about our water supply. The quote came and was around the expected figure so we are able to go ahead and have water connected to the site. Hurray!

Tuesday 1 May 2012

A break from the rain

It was a beautiful afternoon in the garden yesterday. Class four all went to do some gardening. They put labels on all the beds, took out more weeds and made a structure, out of birch, for the beans to climb up
It was the first time a whole class had worked in the garden together and they did a fantastic job. We are hoping for more sunny afternoons especially Friday as gardening club begins.