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This is a unique school garden with a design incorporating features, trees and flowers distinctive of the six major world religions
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Summertime! The garden beckons. Remember... |
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| Tulips in Chris and James' flowerbed | Tulips in the Marian flowerbed | ||
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| Charlotte, Belinda and Emma planning their Feast of Life bed |
Taking mint from the Star of David to make room for strawberries
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Emma at Gardening Club |
Ryan and Frankie |
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We're delighted that Stevenage Borough Council have selected the garden as their entry to the Anglia in Bloom competition. Since last year we have added the Van Gogh border and hope soon to include amazing photos of irises on this site.
We still benefit from the work of all students who have gardened through the last four years.
We remember the work of 24 Year 8 students in Gardening Club 2000 who won first place with The Hertfordshire Gardens Trust. As well as the fascinating and enjoyable trip to Chelsea Physic Garden ten students visited the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project in Cornwall for four days. See their report below.
Last year students hosted a visit to the RE Garden of 120 Year 6 students from a local primary school. We hope that others will visit this year.
VISIT TO THE EDEN PROJECT AND TO THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN
Students in the Gardening Club designed, planted, seeded and dead-headed; they gathered flowers, examined worms and butterflies and started composting. For their efforts and sustainability of the RE Garden over two years they won first prize with the Hertfordshire Gardens Trust: a trip to the Eden Project and to the Last Gardens of Heligan, with all expenses paid.
Some ten excited students of the Gardening club, with teachers Susie White and Ross Dalzell, met at Stevenage Railway Station for the trip to Boswinger Youth Hostel, near St. Austell. Here's what some of the students had to say . . .
When I first got to the youth
hostel and went to our room, the view of the sea from my window was
breath-taking. There were endless green hills and the sparkling sea.
Steven
We went to the beach as it is
only ten minutes down the road. It was sunny and hot at six o'clock and
warm. Dinner was lovely too and then we went to sleep. Well, kind
of. We were all a bit giggly and energetic.
Laila
Energy was the order of the next day when the group visited the Eden Project with its ABC: Art, Biodiversity and Conservation; zigzag paths, sculptures and the Eden Trail. The two famous gigantic geodisic conservatories form a startling backdrop to the outdoor landscape with one housing a majestic rainforest and the other plants, fruits and flowers from the Mediterranean, South Africa and California. It was quite breath-taking for everyone . . .
The most interesting was the
structure and how the domes and the whole Eden Project was built and how the
plants are what we need every day to survive. Everything's fine, I'm
having fun and loving it.
Charlotte
There were two biospheres and
one of them was the warm temperate biome with cork trees, lemon and cotton
trees, plum and peach trees. The best bit was when we went into the humid
biome because it was really hot, just like the rainforest, and we saw bananas
growing on palms and pineapples. It was so hot that we stopped next to a
waterfall and got wet.
Laila
The following day, it was time to visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan with five walled gardens, a two-acre productive Kitchen Garden, a Crystal Grotto, Italian Garden, Pleasure Grounds, a sub-tropical jungle with tree ferns, exotic plants and giant trees and a Lost Valley.
We walked all round the gardens
and our guide, Veneeto, was really nice and told us a lot. There were bananas,
pineapples and lots of other fruit growing. We had another great day
today.
Emma
In the Lost Gardens of Heligan
we saw lots of plants like sunflowers, tool sheds and bee hives. For
dinner at the youth hostel we had vegetable soup, spaghetti bolognaise, jelly
and ice cream.
James
It was an amazing experience for everyone but no holiday is complete without an adventure. On the last day . . .
the mini-bus broke down.
Mr Dalzell got out and directed the traffic. We started walking to the
train when another minibus came and picked us up. Mr. Dalzell had to run
as there was not enough room in the minibus. He made it just in time to
the train.
Kayleigh
We got on the train and the four
hours to Paddington went very quickly. There was a tube strike so we had
to wait for a bus but as there were twelve of us we were too many so we had to
take three taxis to Kings Cross.
Charlotte
The Nobel Gardening Club would like to thank the Hertfordshire Gardens Trust for their generosity in giving us this wonderful opportunity and an unforgettable time at the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
We also express our appreciation over the years to:-
Elliotts Nurseries, Standon Road, Meppershall, who supplied bedding plants this year
Lafarge Readymix,
Stevenage Plant, for concrete that has set the round table
and four seats in situ and prepared the Muslim area for tiling
Groundwork Hertfordshire for the donation of trees, including the guelder rose, dog rose, wild cherry and rowan,
and daffodil bulbs in 2000 and 2001 that we have planted in the meadow area
Shell Better Britain Campaign for an award to contribute to the cost of constructing features,
laying paths and beds
Harkness Roses,
Letchworth, for the gift of rose trees in 2000 and 2001
Hertfordshire
Outdoors for an award
BT Grounds for the Future 2000 for an award
Wyevale Garden Centre, Letchworth, for vouchers for plants
The Nobel English Department for raising money from a Spellathon
The Nobel Art Department for help with the Mandala table, photos,
planting, watering and a concrete icon for the Marian Garden
The Van Hage Garden Company, Bragbury End, Stevenage, for gift vouchers for plants
Nobel staff and parents for gifts of plants, photographs and for general help
Garden Design
The Christian area has four standard rose trees surrounded by plants, including herbs of a mediaeval monastery garden. Thank you to staff who clubbed together and bought a concrete tudor rose as a central feature.
The Jewish Star of David is planted blue with flowers: lobelia in summer and scyllas and grape hyacinths in spring.
The Muslim area is surrounded by roses and the art department has designed a mosaic in tiles representing the four rivers in the Garden of Eden.
The Buddhist area has a central table, a recycled cable wheel, on which are mandalas, designed by Year 9 students and painted by them during Activity Week.
The Sikh area has golden roses, kindly donated by Harkness Roses.
The Hindu area will have stones/sculptures to represent Hindu deities amidst jasmine and marigolds.
The flower bed outside E1 is planted as a Marian Bed with roses and honeysuckle and other plants associated with the Virgin Mary. Thank you to the art department for the gift of a concrete icon of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child.
During Activity Week 2000 another bed was planted outside E2.
Activities
Digging, weeding and composting the ground
Choosing a design for your flower/herb bed: a Feast of Life Garden, a Butterfly Bed, a Marian Garden . . . Seed and plant your garden
Recording growth and decay with art, photography and poetry.
Painting mandalas during Activity Week
Vipassana (Use a Buddhist link to find out . . . )
Meditation
Symbol Search
Links:
http://www.e-garden.co.uk (see Latin Translation for names of your plants)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/groundforce/
http://www.hdra.org.uk (see organic school gardens)
http://www.gardenersworld.beeb.com
http://www.edenproject.com (take a look at this global garden under other domes)
Send an e-mail to the Head of Department if you, your parents or grandparents, are interested in helping.
Click
here to e-mail the Head of Dept:
