Photos from the allotment

Just a few photos to show you how things are going on the allotment:

Summer Update

OK its now over two whole weeks into the holidays and time to update you on how things are going. The allotment has been very productive since we broke up (next year we shall try to time things so they are ready two weeks earlier!). Watering is being carried out by a new automated system but its not as efficient as you lot! That said the greenhouse now has tomato plants that are full of tomatoes, Pepper plants with peppers, a cucumber plant with a cucumber and even the aubergines are flowering! Outside we have broad beans, runner beans, two types of dwarf french bean, lettuces, potatoes, carrots, courgettes, onions and peas. The herbs are also doing well and along the edge of the allotment the sunflowers are soon to flower. Back in the greenhouse the wildflower meadow plants we started in June are doing well and will be ready to transplant soon. The meadow we sowed in June is just starting to grow and the blackcurrent and blackberry bushes are now laden with fruit, I feel a fruit pick coming on for the first week back! Also coming up in September will be our contribution to the “Big Tidy Up”, organised by the Keep Britain Tidy campaign but more on this and our other plans for the new school year later.

Christmas Update

There was no Eco Club meeting last week as it was Christmas Dinner. In fact some of you got to reflect on this in Geography when we looked at how far our Christmas Dinners had travelled in “food miles” (up to around 37000 miles!). Obviously we have not had a meeting today as it is the holiday but since I know some of you like to keep track of what is going on we should have an update.

First of all a huge thank you to all who have contributed garden tools to our allotment project the “Bushloe Big Green Grow” that starts in the spring. We now have nearly enough tools to get the project started, especially since this week we had two further donations including some smaller hand tools which are going to prove invaluable. Sorry if there are any donations I have yet to acknowledge, I will get around to it in the new year.

Recycling is due to step up a gear in the new year. After Christmas all pupils and staff will be invited to bring in their old Christmas cards to recycle. We also hope to start our new rota for recycled paper collection  (now up on the Eco Club notice board). We also have a new storage facility that will be outside where the recycled paper will be stored until collection. This “shed ” will also be the place where we can keep other items for recycling and will allow us to expand the range of things we recycle as a school. Oh and by the way the “shed” is made of 70% recycled plastic! Also coming in the spring will be a new cardboard recycling “skip” which will replace one of the “rubbish” (landfill) skips.

When we start back in the new year we will carry on with our programme of Eco Club meetings on Fridays. Planned sessions include making bird feeders (yes I know -we will get around to that one eventually) and starting to look at how much energy we use around the building. Have a happy Christmas and see you in the New Year.