In Gardening Club throughout this year we have been incredibly productive in every season. At the beginning of the school year, back in September, we cleared the allotment’s raised beds of all the weeds and dead plants that had grown throughout the summer, to create space for planting our own flowers and vegetables in the future.

As the months grew colder and growing plants was not possible due to the weather, we moved inside to carry on our plans for future terms.

We decided that we needed to raise money for equipment, seeds, paint for the shed and raised beds. We collectively agreed to run a bake sale to raise money for our club and even created hand-made posters to promote it. The members of gardening club, with the help from others, came together to buy and make the treats which were then sold at break in the Dining Room.

In the same term, we also collected pine cones from the woods which we used to create eco-friendly bird feeders while also having a lot of fun making them, and although it was very messy, the birds enjoyed it greatly!

While we were waiting for the warmer seasons to come, we created digital plans of what we wanted to plant and where we were going to plant, and also used our cameras and phones to create some beautiful photography of the School's grounds and natural environment. This was enjoyed by all and even made into a competition; though it was very difficult to choose a winner.

Since the weather has warmed up, the club have loved getting back outside and working on the allotments. We have continued clearing the beds of weeds and begun to plant a variety of plants, including potatoes, onions, pumpkins, wildflowers and many more, while also tending to plants which have stayed over winter months including our raspberries and gooseberry bushes. We hope that these will soon be ready to harvest and distribute to all members, their families and to the School, to reward everyone for their hard work.

Gardening Club has been an excellent opportunity to get outside and have a distraction from school work while doing something that benefits the environment and ourselves. All members thoroughly enjoy it and we are looking forward to the future of gardening at Q in the coming months and years.

Thank you Miss Yaffe for organising this wonderful club!

Izzie E and Theodora C - Year 12