Pumpkins!!

Soil, water, sunshine and children, a perfect combination for lots of fun and learning. Everyone got their hands dirty planting pumpkin plants. Gardening skills were demonstrated a-plenty as the little seedlings were carefully re-homed into individual pots ready for children to take home. ‘There’s its roots!’, ‘It needs water’, ‘It looks happy’ ‘I need more soil’ ‘ooo that’s the biggest’. Lots of chatter and laughter as they dug out soil, filled pots, manoeuvred plants and watered them. Two weeks later, lots of water, sunshine and careful observation by the children, have resulted in thriving pumpkin plants ready for their onward journey. We’ve counted all the new leaves, measured the stem height and admired the shaped leaves.

The pumpkin planting has prompted lots of interest in the wildflower bed which is more colourful by the day. ‘It’s a poppy’ was shouted as the first poppy flower appeared, the next day we were greeted by five more. ‘there’s more’ shrieked the children as they excitedly ran over to greet the flowers. ‘there’s six now’ ‘it’s red’ ‘wow, it’s as tall as you!’ ‘oh look there’s bees!’ ‘I can hear them’. After months of careful waiting by the children, their Autumn planting efforts have been rewarded by a breadth of British wild flowers, each proudly waving in the wind, providing glorious insect habitats and wonder for the children.