Our school garden

 Thanks to Ms. Ryan, our school garden got off to a good start in March last year with the children in Senior Infants participating in planting a wide variety of vegetables and herbs. They started with a Garden Centre in the classroom, learning about the various seeds and the conditions for growing them. The plants were then moved outside into a large raised bed (made by our caretaker Liam  with a generous donation of topsoil by a parent Audrey Doyle) The pupils helped to tend the garden and water the plants and  - such excitement! - when they went out in late September to harvest the produce. Peas, broad beans, runner beans, courgettes, mangetout , celery, carrots,, potatoes, purple sage, tarragon, thyme, parsley, and  rosemary to mention but a few! On Monday October 5th with the help of fifth and sixth class we used the produce to make a delicious soup for over two hundred pupils. Most of them really enjoyed it and came looking for more!! Interestingly, none of  the pupils involved in planting and growing the vegetables refused to try the soup. So pupils then understood the concept of food coming from the earth to the table and not just off a supermarket shelf! We are hoping to further develop the garden in the coming year and to involve as many pupils as possible in the planting, growing, harvesting and cooking of the produce and would welcome any help from parents/grandparents with time and an interest in gardening or woodwork skills( to help create some raised beds).