BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Normanby Hall Museum and Country Park

Set in the heart of undiscovered North Lincolnshire, the 300 acres of Normanby Hall Museum and Country Park provides the perfect day out for all the family.

View the beautiful Regency Hall and learn about Lincolnshire's rich and rural heritage in the fascinating Farm Museum. Step back in time in the award winning Victorian Walled Garden and stroll through the beautiful Pleasure Grounds with their stunning herbaceous borders.

Enjoy the extensive woodland with its wealth of wildlife, or walk through the Deer Park with its herds of Red and Fallow Deer.

There are self-guided nature trails. Younger children will enjoy watching the ducks and peacocks or playing in the adventure playground. On most Sundays throughout the open season they can ride on the newly extended miniature railway, or take part in a free Crafty Kids workshop in the Farm Museum. There are also special children's events throughout the year.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Kew at Wakehurst

The National Trust’s most visited property. Open throughout the year, Wakehurst is

the country estate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This beautiful botanic garden

is internationally significant, for both its collections and its vital scientific research and

plant conservation. Enjoy visiting woodland and lakes, formal gardens, the

Elizabethan house and Kew's Millennium Seed Bank. Wakehurst marked an

international conservation milestone in 2010, conserving the seeds of 10 per cent of

the world’s plant species for the future, and now embarks on the target of conserving

a quarter of the world’s plant species by 2020.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Holt Hall Field Study Centre

Holt Hall is set in 35 hectares of ancient woodland, lawns, lakes and gardens close

to the North Norfolk coast. It offers a brief refuge from the hurly burly of modern life

and provides opportunities for learning outside the classroom, for developing new

skills and interests, as well as making new friends.

Holt Hall provides a happy and stimulating learning environment where students are

encouraged to explore their relationship with others and the environment. It also

provides an opportunity for students to develop skills, knowledge and understanding

and promote awareness of personal, local and global issues.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

RHS HYDE HALL

The 360-acre Hyde Hall estate is in an area of Essex that has very low rainfall, and

this factor, combined with the soil conditions and exposed nature of the site, makes it

a challenging area for gardening.

In 1955 when Dr and Mrs Robinson came to Hyde Hall there were only six trees on

the top of a windswept hill and no garden. The site was cold and windy, the top of

the hill was covered in gravel and the soil on the slopes comprised a sticky clay with

a pH of around neutral.

The house, which dates back to the 18th century, is a typical Essex farmhouse of

timber frame, lath and plaster. Records show the existence of a dwelling on this site

at least as far back as Tudor times.

Since the Robinsons turned the first spadeful of clay in the 1950s, Hyde Hall has

always been a dynamic garden, constantly changing to meet the various challenges

the site and soil have produced. The story of the development of this inspiring

garden with its extraordinary diversity of plants is a fascinating one, a triumph over

conditions that would have daunted less keen and dedicated gardeners.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Durham University Botanic Gardens

The10 hectare university botanic garden is set amongst beautiful mature woodlands

on the southern outskirts of Durham City. It has been on the site since 1970. It was

created primarily for teaching and research. As the garden matured a visitor centre

was built and was opened in 1988 by Dame Margot Fonteyn, the Chancellor of the

University at the time, to accommodate the 6000 annual visitors. The garden now

attracts over 80,000 visitors annually.

The Botanic Gardens houses plant collections from around the world, including

China, Japan, North America, South Africa, New Zealand and Chile, as well as a

woodland garden, alpine garden and bamboo grove. A magnificent monkey puzzle

tree dominates the centre of the garden.

Contained in the glasshouses are collections of tropical rainforest plants (including

the giant Amazonian water lily, Victoria amazonica), desert plants, and more familiar

plants from the Mediterranean. There are also some tropical bugs, stick insects,

scorpions and tarantulas. Occasionally, during the summer months a selection of

tropical butterflies may be seen.

In late summer to early spring the arboretum is grazed by a rare breed sheep. They

are a vital part of the green management plan as they graze grassland for the benefit

of wildflowers and insects.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Since its opening in 1846, Cambridge University Botanic Garden has been an

inspiration for gardeners, an exciting introduction to the natural world. This heritage-

listed Garden has been designed for both year-round interest and seasonal

inspiration.

Cambridge Botanic Garden offers enriching learning experiences for all students.

There is a flourishing Schools’ Garden demonstrating a productive growing space,

which offers a model for gathering ideas and provides hands-on experience.

The Glasshouse Range flanks the north side of the Main Lawn, and is full of year-

round interest - from the daintiest alpine to exotic tropical climbers - and is a real

refuge on a cold day. The Range has been transformed in the last five years through

a major restoration and replanting programme that has seen the glasshouse plants,

all requiring some protection from the Cambridge climate, re-presented to reveal the

drama of plant diversity and explore how plants have evolved to survive in key

environments such as icy mountains and oceanic islands, desert and jungle.

The Botanic Garden holds the research and teaching collection of living plants for

the University of Cambridge, which numbers over 8000 plant species. These include

National Plant Collections, several important research collections, and Cantab

plants.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park

Paignton Zoo is home to thousands of amazing animals and plants.Visitors to

Paignton Zoo usually come to see the animals. After all, it is a zoo. What they

actually see as they walk around is a natural landscape and animals within it. What

they don't generally notice is that this is a created landscape and the plants are

carefully selected to mimic the natural habitat types of the animals. Plants are

fundamental to the atmosphere and this is one of the reasons that Paignton Zoo is

not just a zoological garden but also a botanical garden.

The gardens of Paignton Zoo consist of both mature shrubberies and new areas

developed over the past 10 years. The new plantings are mainly designed to re-

create the major habitat types from around the world. Native plants are used in some

areas to enhance the natural ambience whereas in others, exotics create variation

within the habitat themes.

The plant collections contain around 5,000 specimens representing about 2,500

different plants. Records of all these plants are held on a computer database which

holds information on plant origin, identification and cultivation. Some of the rarest

plants in the world are grown in the gardens. The Zoo’s nursery also supports plant

and animal conservation work and the scientific research of students.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire (formerly Arboretum) is open all year and

offers 180 acres of beauty, inspiration and discovery. Over 42,000 plants from

temperate regions around the world grow in a variety of themed landscapes.

Visitors to the Gardens will find something to interest them throughout the year.

During the frosty days of January, the perfume of the witch hazels' strange spidery

flowers filters through the Gardens, and gradually change to the flamboyant blooms

of the spring flowering camellias, magnolias, rhododendrons and azaleas. These are

followed by the heady scents of summer's flowering shrubs and herbaceous plants

before the autumn season of fiery hues.

In 1997 the Gardens were included by English Heritage on the Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England for the value of the plant collections. These collections continue to be enhanced and developed, and now boast the largest Winter Garden of its kind in Europe, and the Gurkha Memorial Garden with an extensive collection of Nepalese plants

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Ryton Gardens

Ryton Gardens offers ten acres of beautifully landscaped grounds highlighting the

delights of organic gardening. Organic gardens also provide a safe haven for wildlife

and are fascinating to visit over the changing seasons.

Ryton demonstrates how to keep pests and diseases at bay without using harmful

sprays and offers examples of a wide range of organic gardening methods.

Garden Organic, the UK's leading organic growing charity, has been at the forefront of the organic horticulture movement for 50 years and is dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening, farming and food.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

University of Leicester Botanic Garden

Founded in 1921 with the assistance of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical

Society, the University of Leicester Botanic Garden was established on its present

site in Oadby in 1947. It comprises the grounds of four houses: Beaumont,

Southmeade, The Knoll and Hastings, which were built early this century and are

now used as student residences.

The four once-separate gardens have been merged into a single entity, whose 16

acres of lovingly cultivated grounds and greenhouses, display a wide variety of

features and environments. The formal planting centres around a restored

Edwardian garden.

Other planting includes an arboretum, a herb garden, woodland and herbaceous

borders, rock gardens, a water garden, the National Collections of Skimmia,

Aubrieta, hardy Fuchsia and Lawson's Cypress, and a series of glasshouses

displaying temperate and tropical plants, alpines and succulents.

The plant collections and landscape features make this garden one of the most

diverse in the region.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

RHS Garden, Wisley

The flagship garden of the RHS, Wisley captures the imagination with richly planted

borders, luscious rose gardens and the state-of-the-art new Glasshouse.

Gifted to the Society in 1903, Wisley has evolved over time into a world-class

garden.

In the trials fields, the finest flowers and vegetables are identified from the countless

new introductions. Elsewhere in the garden, cultivation techniques are tried and

tested, and a series of model gardens answers the needs of a variety of conditions

and circumstances.

The Royal Horticultural Society was given Wisley in 1903,

A small laboratory was also opened and the School of Horticulture founded to

instruct young people in the principles of horticulture and prepare them for careers

as professional gardeners. A combination of learning with pleasure is the essence of

Wisley.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

National Trust Sheringham Park

Sheringham Park, in Norfolk, has a reputation for its stunning rhododendrons. The Park has 80 different species on show. Flowers first appear in December, and the show gradually builds to a climax from mid-May into June. Many plants were brought to Sheringham by plant collector Ernest Wilson in the early 20th century. The handkerchief tree, which grows at the edge of the wild garden, was found by Wilson in China. He discovered it working from a crude map on a scruffy piece of paper covering an area of 20,000 square miles with just an 'X' marking its location. Sheringham Park also has stunning coastal views, courtesy of landscape gardener Humphry Repton. There is also a 190 step climb up a gazebo to experience some superb parkland views. In addition to these there is an environmental art area which enables visitors an opportunity to stimulate their imaginations. There are guided walks and events all year round and wildlife trails for children during school holidays.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Calthorpe Project

A Green Oasis in the Heart of Kings Cross, London

The Calthorpe Project is “an inner city oasis – a community garden and

centre where people grow and learn together taking care of each other and

the environment.”

The Project offers a varied programme of activities for children and adults, an

under 5s drop-in and a number of community classes. During the school

holidays there is an extensive programme of activities. The site also includes

a one-acre organic community garden where local people can grow their own

food and a floodlit sports pitch that is the countries first outdoor futsal pitch.

As a garden in a highly urbanised environment it is an invaluable resource for

the community.

The project provides growing space for different groups, which is great for the

physical and mental health. One of the most committed groups is the

Bangladeshi women’s gardening club. A growing space is provided on site

for an increasing number of over 50’s local Bangladeshi women.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

RHS Garden, Rosemoor

Rosemoor is 65 acres of intoxicating beauty, meticulously crafted and planted,

retaining the essence of rural North Devon within a dramatic backdrop of steep

wooded valley sides. The garden incorporates both formal and informal planting as

well as woodland walks, water features and open spaces.

Following the death of her father in 1931, Rosemoor became home to Lady

Anne Palmer and her mother. At that time the garden was, as Lady Anne describes

it, ‘dull and labour intensive, typically Victorian with a great use of annuals in beds

around the house.’ The Stone Garden, designed by Lady Anne’s mother, was the

first area of hard landscaping.

After the Second World War, Lady Anne returned to live permanently at Rosemoor

with her husband and young son. During the war the house had been used by the

Red Cross as a temporary refuge from the bombing for people from London’s

Docklands and East End. The Palmers regained possession of the land and, with a

herd of 50 Ayrshire cows, ran the estate as a dairy farm for a number of years. With

the combined pressures of a young family and a career in local government allowing

little time for dairy farming, the herd was sold and the farm reverted to pastureland

rented out to local farmers for grazing. These grass lets continued until the estate

was generously given to the RHS in 1988, since when they have been transformed

into the acclaimed ornamental gardens and Bicentenary arboretum.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens

In 2001, Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens was created by local Meadows residents coming together to transform part of this disused, unloved, rubbish-strewn playing field into a green space for the local people to use. Local residents now enjoy the benefits of a safe space for family events, place of learning and opportunity to buy freshly-grown fruit and vegetables.

Since 2003 Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens in the HEART of the Meadows has been an oasis in an urban area, a green space for local residence and people of the City of Nottingham to enjoy, a place of learning, relaxing, recreation and space to have pride and ownership of.

In 2007 we successfully secured funding from the Big Lottery Fund to continue our work and aims for a further five years. It has allowed us to employ additional staff and enables us to extend our reach to the many diverse groups found within the Meadows community.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Eden Project

The Eden Project in Cornwall was built on a disused clay mine, transforming it into a rich, global garden where people can learn about nature and get inspiration about the world around them. Eden is also an educational charity and social enterprise running social and environmental projects at home and around the world. Eden creates unforgettable learning experiences for students of all ages. It produces arts, theatrical and musical events and is a site where valuable research into plants and conservation takes place. Eden demonstrates the importance of plants and shows how gardening can be empowering.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Deen City Farm

Deen City Farm is a unique, educational resource and registered charity in SW

London, giving people the opportunity to learn from their visit or contribution to a

successful community project.

The Farm is based on National Trust land (part of the Morden Hall Park Estate) on

the fringes of the South Wimbledon Business Area

Since 2003, our Community Garden Project has changed a disused, weed ridden

part of our site into an interactive, colour-filled vegetable and flower growing area.

We are proud to say that our Garden has won several awards over the years including

Merton in Bloom Best Community Garden 2005, 2007, 2008 & 2009 plus the Green Guardian

Award for the Best New Green Project.

The Fizzy Bottle Roof is made from 7000 plastic bottles!!!

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Chelsea Physic Garden

The Chelsea Physic Garden was founded in 1673, as the Apothecaries' Garden, with

the purpose of training apprentices in identifying plants. The location was chosen as

the proximity to the river created a warmer microclimate allowing the survival of

many non-native plants - such as the largest outdoor fruiting olive tree in Britain -

and more importantly, to allow plants to survive harsh British winters. In 1700s Dr.

Hans Sloane, after whom the nearby locations of Sloane Square and Sloane Street

were named, purchased the Manor of Chelsea from Charles Cheyne. This purchase

of about 4 acres was leased to the Society of Apothecaries for £5 a year in

perpetuity.

In 1876 the Garden enlarged its educational aspirations by deciding to run a lecture

course for young women who were training as botany teachers. At the end of the

19th century the trustees of the City Parochial Foundation agreed to take over the

running of the Garden from the Society of Apothecaries. In 1983 The Garden

became a registered charity and open to the general public for the first time.

The Chelsea Physic Garden has developed a major role in public education focusing

on the renewed interest in natural medicine. The Garden of World Medicine which is

Britain's first garden of ethnobotany (or the study of the botany of different ethnic

groups and indigenous peoples) is laid out together with a new Pharmaceutical

Garden.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses, situated in Edgbaston,

Birmingham, UK, are a 15 acre oasis of delight. Designed by J. C. Loudon, a leading

garden planner, horticultural journalist and publisher, they opened to subscribers in

1832.

The Gardens provide a unique service to schools and colleges in the West Midlands

and beyond. Pupils are fortunate in being able to experience a wide variety of

environments in one place. They can walk straight from experiencing hot and humid

tropical conditions into a desert climate and observe changes to plants due to the

seasons.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

In 1752 Princess Augusta instructed her head gardener, John Dillman, to "compleat

all that part of the Garden at Kew that is not yet finished in the manner proposed by

the Plan and to keep all that is now finished". With the very able help of the Earl of

Bute, the development of Kew as a serious botanic garden was well under way,

driven by Bute's desire to have a garden which would contain all the plants known on

Earth". Princess Augusta was, in effect, the founder of the botanic gardens at Kew.

Throughout its history, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has made important

contributions to increasing the understanding of the plant kingdom with many

benefits for mankind.

Today it is still first and foremost a scientific institution. With its collections of living

and preserved plants, of plant products and botanical information, it forms an

encyclopaedia of knowledge about the plant kingdom.

Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, Kew's rich horticultural and

scientific history is interwoven with royal heritage and its historic importance. It

houses the earth's largest and most diverse botanical collections, including reference

collections.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Bedgebury

Bedgebury National Pinetum and forest is the premier outdoor site in the Southeast

of England. With nearly 10,000 trees and shrubs the Pinetum is the most complete

collection of temperate conifers in the world; it is also an important site of ex situ

conservation and a centre of excellence.

The Forestry Commission manage the National Pinetum for the nation. They aim to

have a visually pleasing mix of conifers and broadleaved specimens contained in

350 acres of rolling Wealden countryside. The collection was started in the 1840's by

the Beresford Hope family and was greatly improved following its acquisition by the

Forestry Commission in 1925 when it became jointly managed with Kew Gardens.

The planting scheme of William Dallimore, the first curator, largely kept all trees from

the same genera together, whilst this was useful for comparing species it lead to an

uninteresting landscape. The 1987 storm destroyed up to a third of the trees, this

sad event provided an opportunity to replant with mixture of trees to give a varied

landscape.

Bedgebury National Pinetum has the most complete collection of conifers in the

world. The aim to have 7 specimens of each conifer from different wild collected

sources and having a variety of ages - thus providing a continuing genetic resource.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

National Trust Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill

A passion for tradition and style inspired one man to transform a run-down country

house and desolate landscape. Lord Fairhaven was a generous host, delighting in

entertaining visitors and a life occupied with horse racing and shooting. The 46-

hectare (114-acre) garden, with its working watermill, wildlife discovery area and

statuary, offers inspiration and planting for all seasons.

Formal and informal areas blend perfectly in the 20th-century landscaped garden

with its collection of classical statuary. Lord Fairhaven had a vision for his garden. To

create a modern version of the grand 18th century landscape gardens, such

as Stourhead and Stowe.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

The Wilderness Centre/Plump Hill Centre

The Wilderness and Plump Hill Centre is a specialist centre, passionate about delivering Outdoor and

Environmental Education experiences for children, young people and adults.

Established in Gloucestershire for over 40 years, The Wilderness Centre is the base for a team of teaching

and youth work professionals, all of whom have wide ranging and innovative expertise.

The Wilderness and Plump Hill Centres are available for Residential and Day Visit courses. The team of

teachers also provide INSET training and courses for all Key Stages.

Specialising in:-

Foundation Stage to Key Stage 4

Environmental Education and Personal and Social Development

Year 7 induction programmes which promote team building, personal and social development

A-level Field Biology Courses - AS and A2 levels

Environmental Youth Work

Practical Ecology and Conservation topics on the syllabus

Designing programmes to suit specific requirements

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

East Reservoir Community Garden

The community garden sits alongside the New River and overlooks the East

Reservoir in Stoke Newington. Nestled beneath Hackney’s oldest oak tree, the

community garden has an eco building where education, community events

and volunteering activities run throughout the year.

The community garden features a state of the art eco-classroom where a wide range

of environmental education sessions are on offer throughout the year. The outdoor

features include an observation bird hide, varied wildlife habitats, a pond and river,

mini-nature trails, a mini-beast village, vegetable patches and living willow structures.

The garden with its river and reservoir is home to an amazing range of species such

as the common tern, reed bunting, emperor dragonfly and kingfisher.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Culpeper Community Garden

Culpeper Community Garden is a beautiful public open space in the heart of Islington,

London, which serves both as a city park and as an environmental community project.

Named after the famous 17th-Century herbalist who published his works in Islington,

Culpeper started life as a joint project between the Free School on White Lion Street, a local

alternative school for excluded children, and Penton Primary School, located adjacent to the

garden until its sad closure in 2002.

The aim was to provide somewhere for children to learn to grow and care for plants and

vegetables. In 1982, with a small grant from Islington Council, work began to transform a

derelict, rubbish-filled site into the beautiful public open space it is today. The overall design

of the garden was drawn up by a landscape architect and as construction and planting took

place, Culpeper was born.

The organic garden comprises a lawn, ponds, rose pergolas, ornamental beds, vegetable

plots, seating and a wildlife area. It contains 50 plots including 2 raised beds for disabled

gardeners: these small gardens are for community groups, children, and for people living

nearby who do not have gardens. Tending the garden is a communal effort by garden

members and volunteers.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Veolia Educational and Environment Centre

Since opening in September 1998, the centre has welcomed more than 6,000

visitors a year - mostly children from the Early Years Foundation Stages to KS3 + on

class visits. Everything that is done at the Centre has the environment at its core.

The Education Team aims to support teachers by providing stimulating and exciting

hands-on experiences which will enrich curriculum work in school.

We challenge our visitors to leave little or no rubbish from their packed lunches.

Certificates and prizes are awarded to visitors for enthusiasm and achievement and

we have a “Wall of Fame” for groups who are “Zero Wasters.”

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Ness Botanic Gardens

The Gardens are situated on the Wirral Peninsula, which lies between the Dee and

Mersey estuaries.

Ness Botanic Gardens was born of one man's passionate interest in plants and his

desire to share that interest with others.

When the Liverpool cotton merchant Arthur Kilpin Bulley began to create a garden in

1898, part of which he opened to local residents, he laid the foundations of one of

the major botanic gardens in the United Kingdom.

Arthur Bulley died in 1942, and in 1948 his daughter Lois presented the Gardens to

the University of Liverpool with an endowment of £75,000. The only stipulation was

that they be kept as a botanic gardens as a practical and fitting tribute to the memory

of her father. Bulley's policy of opening a specified area of ornamental ground to the

public was also to be continued.

When Ken Hulme was appointed as Director in 1957, it presented him with both a

challenge and an opportunity. Bulley, who was interested in rare plants and massed

flower displays but not garden design, had compartmentalised the Gardens,

separating one area from another with Hawthorn hedges netted against rabbits.

Floral displays were restricted to formal, regimented beds. Ken Hulme envisaged a

more naturalistic setting for the plants and spent the next three decades achieving

this.

Today, the commitment to maintain and develop the beauty of the Gardens remains,

but there is an increasing emphasis on research, conservation and education of the

public - areas reflecting Bulley's original interests.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

Winterbourne House and Garden

Winterbourne House & Garden is situated close to the acclaimed University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston campus, just 10 minutes from Birmingham city centre.

Winterbourne is one of the best surviving examples of an Edwardian Arts and Crafts

suburban villa garden.

Offering colour and interest throughout the year, the seven acre Grade II listed

garden is home to a beautiful walled garden, striking colour themed borders, original

sandstone rock garden and stream side planting.

The garden also displays plants from around the globe with collections of plants from

China, North and South America and the alpine areas of the world.

There is also a programme of public garden events running throughout the year

including open days, special interest tours, local heritage days, music concerts and

an Edwardian fete.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

King Henry's Walk Garden is a new green space in the Mildmay ward of Islington,

created by the local community, for the local community.

Run by volunteers, with support from Islington Council, the garden contains growing

plots for cultivation by local residents, where the use of organic gardening methods

helps to promote a diversity of plants and wildlife.

King Henry's Walk Garden is the venue for a variety of practical workshops and talks

related to gardening, wildlife and environmental themes.

King Henry's Walk Garden has entered into a partnership with The Garden

Classroom, a social enterprise set up to deliver educational workshops for primary

schoolchildren that are linked to the curriculum.

The Garden Classroom runs imaginative educational sessions and events, focusing

on gardening, wildlife, science and the environment. Activities take place in gardens

and green spaces around London, creating a link to the outdoors for those who live

in the inner city.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

The Gordon Brown Outdoor Activity Centre

The Gordon Brown Centre is an outdoor environmental centre in Hampshire, which

specialises in a wide range of environmental experiences for both children and

adults with the emphasis on fun! The centre offers schools and local authorities the

chance to help their students achieve a greater understanding of the world around

them.

Children from all around the area can meet together at the Gordon Brown Centre

and enjoy the wonderful 25-acre site by participating in one of the many fun-filled

activity days. The activities change regularly and range from exhilarating team

building challenges to Brown Bear's survival experience.

Everyone is welcome at the Centre; from Families through to Clubs, Societies and

Community Organisations. Itineraries and activities are developed to suit all needs.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum

The University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum are located over two quite different sites, the Botanic Garden in the city and the Arboretum, six miles south of the city.

The Garden is a classic yet contemporary botanic garden with more than 6,000 plant species planted in family beds, borders and glasshouses. The Garden embraces its historic past and its close associations with Oxford University.

The Arboretum is a much larger site with natural woodland, meadow and managed coppice along with more ornamental areas. The Arboretum offers a wider range of opportunities for students to explore real environments through investigation and fieldwork.

At both the Botanic Garden and the Arboretum education is central and every member of staff contributes to the education programme. Activities for secondary schools are developed and delivered by a dedicated member of the team.

The Garden offers a wide range of programmes for all Key Stages.

The Garden consists of three sections. The Glasshouses contain plants that need protection from the extremes of the British weather. The area outside the Walled Garden contains classic garden features such as a Water Garden and Rock Garden as well as the innovative Black Border and Autumn Borders. Within the Walled Garden plants are grouped in a number of different ways such as by country of origin, botanic family or economic use.

There has been a glasshouse at the Botanic Garden for over 300 years. The first plan of the garden, produced in 1675, shows the very first glasshouse in Great Britain.

BIOGRAPHIES OF GROWING SCHOOLS GARDENS SITES