We, at Floral and Hardy, have always been passionate about getting children involved in gardening and now TV gardener, Alan Titchmarsh has thrown his hat into the political ring by stating that whichever party wins the general election, they should think long-term about teaching all school children about horticulture, but more importantly to get them outside and growing things themselves.
Growing fruit and veg which you can then cook and eat is such a thrill for us, never mind for small children, who can see the miracle of massive pumpkins growing from small seeds in one season, or picking an apple straight from the tree and enjoying its natural, sun-ripened flavour.
Not only does it teach children about where their food comes from, but it also has the added advantage of being organically grown, with no pesticides or additives. It may even help to tackle the nationwide child obesity problem that we have now, by encouraging them to eat more healthily.
We can, of course, teach our children in our own gardens how to grow produce, even if it’s just in a window box where herbs and even strawberries can be grown, but, if we don’t have the time or the space, to have the knowledge that they will be taught about it at school would be a great reassurance.
The RHS is strongly behind this campaign and provides support and encouragement to schools in the development of their gardens.
Their report states that gardening boosts child development, teaches life skills and generally makes children healthier and happier.
So, we’re totally behind this campaign and hope you will be too.
To see how this works at a school in Slough whose garden we designed and built please go to Slough Outdoor Garden
