Temple Ewell School Allotment
“We have had our first visit to the allotment this year following a delivery of wood chippings to re-lay the paths in-between the vegetable beds.
We were lucky enough to have the chippings donated as part of the Kearsney Parks Project. Mrs Church, Mrs Beamish, Mike Jones and a group of children met Mr Barlow and moved the chippings onto our plot and worked as a great team to spread, rake and then stomp the chippings into new paths.
Fortunately it was a lovely sunny day so despite being cold it was lovely to be working up there in the sunshine.
When the weather warms up a bit we will start Allotment club again and look forward to preparing the soil to plant our crops for this summer.”
In September 2016 we took over an allotment at the Temple Ewell Allotment site. With the help of our friend Trevor Barlow and staff, the site was cleared, plots were built, shed erected and so we began.
Planting began in earnest in the Spring of 2017 and “Allotment Club” was also started for a small group of children after school.
We signed up to the RHS School Gardening Club and started work to reach Level 5 – the highest accolade.
Within the space of 5 months we achieved all levels and now have a sign on school house and the allotment shed reflecting our achievement.
The children were able to sell their produce at the summer fete, after school and at the Macmillan Coffee Morning and Big soup events. They have raised money to put back into the allotment and for charity which has been amazing. We also donated our harvest box to Emmaus. We also entered the village produce show with some success.
Children from allotment club have been able to take produce home each week that they have grown and have also learnt about the environment, recycling and wildlife that we like in a garden.
We have recently planted our Winter crops and will start in earnest in the Spring. We will start our seedlings in class before they are transplanted. We will also be again taking part in the Grow Your Own Potato scheme.
This has been an amazing experience for all involved this year, we are immensely proud of the children and all of their achievements.
Pumpkins – 2019