The willow classroom - March 2009

Holy Trinity School has started to grow a classroom – a living willow classroom. Other schools have grown igloo sized willow rooms but we decided to make it big enough for a whole class and teacher to sit and listen to stories, poems or just discuss the wonder of sitting in a living space.

The idea began even before the first garden meeting with a visit to the Eden Project in Cornwall where they have a mature willow room as well as many examples of willow tunnels and willow used as live edging to beds.

It was one of those things that you see and you want - but where to put such a structure, Soon after that the discussion began about what can we do in our environmental space, and the suggestion was made. It was hard for people who had never seen it to grasp the idea but photos helped.

Willow is a magical plant, you just cut a twig or even small branch, stick it in the ground, water it well and it will form new roots and grow. There are companies supplying willow in bundles and enough to make a small dome would cost around £90. We wanted a big dome and a long winding tunnel entrance. It may cost a bit more.

Then like so much that has happened in the garden it all came together… Judith Baker one of the garden group parents mentioned that she helped out as a volunteer at the Swannery at Abbotsbury and every spring they cut their willow back and she’d ask them if we could have the willow.

The reply can back as a yes, and not only that but would some of the gardening group like to visit the Swannery, feed the swans, view the willow maze that they had had built last year, see the willow that was to be cut and meet the man (swineherd) who would be doing the cutting.

The visit took place in the February half term and several car loads of parents and children had a lovely time visiting the ‘not open to the public yet’ Swannery and feeding the swans.

In preparation for the classroom whilst the garden group were working on the raised bed area, during February half term, a shallow circular trench had been dug for the classroom and a winding snake trench for the entrance tunnel.
At the begging of March the message came via Judith that the coppicing had started and that will willow would be delivered to the school the next week. The swineherd came with his willow and helped plant the main supports of the classroom, it was then up to Judith, Samantha and Helen to plant the fillings for the walls. They were positioned at an angle and woven together to form an interesting crisscross effect. It was a very pleasing process, not too strenuous apart from digging out a few obstructions. During the first couple of days many of the children were brought up to the garden to learn what was going on and to plant a few twigs for themselves.

A watering rota has been put in place as the willow will need to be watered every day for several months to ensure it puts out roots but even after being in for a week it has started to produce little leaves, a wonderful sight.

The Grand Opening

Midway through the installation of the Dorset Cereals Edible Garden a message was received from the School Secretary informing us that a special visitor was coming to the school at the beginning of the September term to look around the new building. Someone had decided that it would be nice idea to get the special visitor to officially open the new garden!

Nothing like a bit of pressure… not only did we have to get the garden built but we had to get it finished to a standard to do justice to the designer Nick Williams-Ellis and also Dorset Cereals who would be also invited to the opening.

It was all very mysterious to start with. Lots of whispered speculation about the special visitor, then a little more information, ‘special royal visitor’, more whispered speculation. Finally, as we were putting the finishing touches to the garden, scrounging and pleading to get the last bit of paving laid we found out that our visitor was to be the Duke of Gloucester.

The Duke trained as an architect and was very interested in the new school and the various green initiatives that had been incorporated into the build.

The whole visit was planned with military precision; the police, Dorset County Council, and W&P B.C. were all involved. A rogue red car in the school car park had to be towed away, this was serious stuff.

The big day arrived, Wednesday 17th September, mild and dry. The Duke arrived on time and met lots of local dignitaries, the architect and Mr Cheesley and other members of staff. The whole school assembled out in the playground whilst the Duke was shown around the school. He was so impressed and asked so many questions that the timetable began to go astray and organisers could be seen worriedly checking their watches. Finally the Duke emerged and was introduced to the ‘Walking Bus’ and after donning a hi-vis jacked accompanied them up to the new garden.

The Duke was taken round the garden by Samantha and was introduced to Patrick Horton. the marketing director of Dorset Cereals and to Nick Williams-Ellis the garden designer. Still wearing the ‘Walking Bus’ waistcoat the Duke formally opened the new garden and then went on to look at the display showing the progress that had been made to turn a wilderness into a workable space.

Following the Dukes departure Nick Williams-Ellis helped with a more informal celebration of the garden by helping some of the pupils to plant two standard bay trees.

Mark Cheesley with Kate Gosling hands a thank you letter to the marketing director of Dorset Cereals, Patrick Horton.



The Duke Officially Opens the New Garden



The lucky pupils allowed up to the garden to witness the big event were our 'Walking bus', our School Council and our 'Eco Warriers'.



Helen Toft, Danyel Cornick, Serena Hayre and Samantha Lucken

Jack Wiston, Joselyn Savill and Tom Wood help Nick plant a bay tree.

Samantha, Harry Hutchinson and Peggy Forden with the second bay tree

Mark Cheesley, Samantha Lucken, Nick Williams-Ellis and Patrick Horton.

Samantha Lucken, Nick Williams Ellis, Allan Goddard, Patrick Horton and the children Sarena and Danyel.

Introduction

Hello all,

My name is Samantha and I am starting this blog with the help of some friends and colleagues (hopefully) in order to share our experiences of starting up a school garden at our local primary school. We are a brand new school - just over 1 year old, created by the amalgamation of an infants and a juniors to create a primary school.

Holy Trinity Primary School in Weymouth, Dorset has just under 700 pupils and is indeed the largest primary school in the county.

At the end of the summer term in 2008, the school was contacted and made a once in a life time offer that we couldn't refuse. Dorset Cereals were offering us their edible playground garden, designed by Nick Williams-Ellis especially for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2008. The garden formed part of the edible playgrounds initiative, a campaign to try and get an edible playground in all schools in the country. Initiated by Screen Bites in Dorset, this project has now been taken up by Dorset Cereals.

The garden had not yet been built but we were shown a pencil plan of it and we, of course, jumped at the chance. We had a perfect piece of land within our school grounds that would be ideal for this project and could be developed even further.

We said "yes please".

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