Beautiful garden wins pupils silver

Pupils from Somervale School’s Beautiful Futures Team have been awarded silver medals for their show garden built at Shepton Mallet’s annual gardening show.

Students from the Midsomer Norton school had only four days to design and build their garden at the showground. The aim was to have a simple design which used as many recycled products as possible and included a selection of plants grown in the school’s garden area by the team.

The garden, which was named Gardening for All, measured four square metres and included a compost area, a vegetable patch with sweetcorn transplanted from school, an area of decking for relaxation, a flower bed with a selection of lavenders, hebes, catmint, marigolds to encourage pollinating insects, and an old lab sink used as a planter for herbs.

The judges were impressed by the imagination and inventiveness of the design and how the pupils had made a major impact with very little cost.

The children will now recreate the garden at the school with the aim of changing the planting areas according to the seasons.

The team enjoyed the event so much that plans are already under way to design a garden for next year’s competition. In charge of the project was science teacher Demetri Benfield with science technician Clare Blunt, who now run a horticulture course at the school and helped achieve the Eco-Schools Green Flag for Somervale.

Head teacher Peter Beaven said: “I am delighted at the team’s enthusiasm and dedication and very impressed by what has been achieved by the pupils. After all, this was their first attempt at creating a show garden.

“The horticultural and sustainable work being undertaken by the students is now a major feature of the school. Well done to all.”