School’s winning garden at show
Nearly 70 schools took part in this year’s Schools’ Challenge at the Lincolnshire Show in June, competing across ten different categories.
This year's show was packed with memorable moments, including a special visit from HRH The Princess Royal, who spent time meeting pupils in the Epic Centre on the showground for the annual Schools Challenge.
Crowds were also delighted by the return of Matt Baker MBE, who appeared in the Countryside Ring and spent time chatting with families and fans, sharing his passion for rural life and the countryside. The Show also welcomed Harriet Cowan from Clarkson’s Farm and current Miss Lincolnshire, Mary Anna Jennings.
Winners in the Schools Challenge included St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School and Queen Elizabeth High School in the Secondary section.
Kingfishers Class (year 3) at Kirkby La Thorpe Primary Academy won the Urban Farming Section of the challenge and met Princess Anne and were pictured in our show coverage last month.
Sue Feary from the school explained the children researched urban farming, looking at different types of vertical growing to maximise limited growing space in inner cities and towns.
They then designed gardens and made containers for growing vegetables and flowers.
She said: “Pennells Garden Centre in Sleaford kindly donated a £100 voucher. Children and staff visited the centre and chose various plants to grow and they created a garden at the showground Schools Challenge to showcase all their ideas.
"This included planters, made from recycled plastic bottles and terracotta pots, which they designed and painted.”
They also researched how to collect rainwater and recycle it for watering the planters and how a solar panel could ensure the water was pumped around the system using natural light from the sun.
They also had an indoor display area showing their designs and gardens made in boxes with other flowers and plants they had grown, including making a mini window box planter. They also had a community swap shop for lavender sachets, plants and pots.
When the judges visited, they studied the garden and displays and the children explained all their work in the presentation.
Pictured here we have the rest of the class who took part in order to win their prize.