Encouraging young gardeners
Woodgreen wonderboy
Posts: 2,322
in Talkback
Alan Titmarsh quite rightly raised the issue of the importance of encouraging the next generation of gardeners if horticulture is to continue to play an important role in society. The RHS has been trying to increase the involvement of young people for some years now. What a pity therefore that at the Malvern Spring Flower show the Gardener's World TV team appeared to show no interest whatsoever in the wonderful collection of show gardens built by local schools. A teacher even told me that Joe Swift, when approached and asked to see the gardens and talk to the children, refused to do so. He was too busy.
0/10 and a very poor effort.
0
Posts
How horrid...shame on Joe Swift.
It's a shame that celebs can't make the effort to go 'off piste' for children. Especially when growing things is such a positive and healthy pursuuit that needs encouragment
I should think schedules are pretty tight for performers at these events. I should want to hear both sides before drawing conclusions.
Best way to get kids interested is to get them "doing" - doubt whether they will be watching TV programmes on gardening. The schools I have contact with have all got miles better at this over the past few years - they all have their own gardens, and these get used by all the kids - not just the ones that join the gardening clubs. So I think things might be moving in the right direction ....
Nut, my point is that GW should have included the childrens' efforts in their "busy" scehedule from the off. The overall standard of gardens was very good, and gets better each year. The school's gardens were every bit as good in their way and deserve equal exposure.
I agree that it's parents who should encourage gardening. Schools can do so much but it is like everything else children do by example. They tend to copy their parents to a certain extent.
Morrisons have a 'Let's Grow' campaign and for every £10 you spend you are given so many vouchers which, now I have no children at school, I pass on to the local Primary School. Apparently there are over 26,000 schools which are benefitting. They are taught about where food comes from and with the vouchers can pick out from a catalogue tools, etc. for their school garden. My little school round the corner has a lovely garden, which is beautifully kept and all sorts of things are grown there. There are senior schools involved also.
my grandchildren have a tomato plant each and a pepper plant and garden peas and potatoes when they come at weekends they tend to there own plants and they sow more cress in yoghurt pots to take home ages 7 , 4 ,and 3 they love digging and planting and finding worms and insects they end up very dirty very tired they are my weekend little helpers
That's the best news I have had all day, thank you Rosie.