I’m watching ‘The Royal Chelsea Flower Show’ preview on TV, and one of the features is about how plants make a huge difference to the learning that goes on in schools. Better air quality, engagement with learning, connecting with Nature, mental health well-being…you get the gist. Of course, those of us who garden, and include the nurturing of house plants in that activity, will already know the therapeutic value of plants. It’s good to know schools are beginning to realise this, too.
At the last school I taught at - a school for children with emotional, social and behavioural problems - I created a feature of plants in the centre of my classroom. The desks were arranged around the central display so that everyone could see the plants all the time. The children enjoyed having the plants there and their behaviours and attitudes improved. They liked caring for the plants, they didn’t want to trash the room because they didn’t want to ‘hurt the plants’ and, on occasion, I would send a baby seedling plant home with child who had taken a particular fancy to a certain species. Some of the plants were given names. Sometimes the display was rearranged. Sometimes a plant was removed from the central display to sit with a child at their desk whilst they worked, a sort of horticultural learning buddy! The engagement with the plants by these disturbed, angry and anxious children was lovely to see.
Unfortunately, sadly, madly, the Senior Leadership Team decided I no longer needed a classroom and I was directed to teach by travelling from room to room, carrying all my books and equipment with me in a box. Of course, this meant the end of my plant display because when one is carrying a set of textbooks and various stationery equipment around a school for 6 lessons a day, one cannot balance half a dozen or more pot plants on top. The plants came home with me, I attempted to teach English out of a box for a few months, then admitted defeat and left teaching for good. A sad end, but it was what it was. I wish I had fought harder for my classroom. It’s a regret I’ve just about learned to accept, forget and leave in the past where it belongs. It still stings though. Every now and again.
Today, I have potted on the cheese plant and transferred five baby spider plants from their parent plant to their own pots. This brings my houseplant total to 22. There are more baby spider plants on their way but I shall wait a while before I pot those on, mostly because I don’t want Andy to panic at the number of plants that are appearing on every flat surface! I also dug up an ENORMOUSLY rooted spearmint and put it in a large deep pot in the courtyard. I do love mint, but not when it tries to take over more than its fair share of space. Mint in a pot is the only sensible way to go.
Made apple and blackberry jam yesterday! It’s the easiest jam I’ve ever made and it is bloomin’ luvverly. I made some scones to go with it. Add a dollop of whipped double cream et voila! A gorgeous cream tea! And the best thing is that I got five jars of top quality product for the price of a bag of granulated sugar and a lemon. Free apples and blackberries - can’t beat making the most of what’s on your doorstep, can you?
I’ve two more books to add to my reading pile…
Well, there’s nothing much on the TV these days, is there? And why watch other people doing stuff, when you can be doing stuff yourself?
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KJ