HORTICULTURE UPDATE
On our return after half term, with little to do in the garden, we explored the grounds and woods, hunting for mushrooms and toadstools. We were lucky to find some common Inky Caps, jelly ears, Shaggy Parasol, and Southern Bracket fungi. The pupils did some great pencil sketches of the ones we found. The pupils then had the opportunity to handle, smell and taste some supermarket-bought edible mushrooms. They tried chestnuts, buttons, and some large, flat-open ones. Everyone agreed that mushrooms are best when cooked!
We then planted sweet peas, carrots, and cabbage in the polytunnel. However, they may not do as well as we hoped, as Storms Bert and Darragh caused some damage. One side now has a very large rip, which will be fixed in the new year.
The pupils have all told me they like tasting vegetables and fruit, so without anything to try from the garden, I purchased a box of tropical fruits. Mango was a firm favourite, closely followed by pineapple. The pupils weren't so keen on lemons and limes, although they all had a try. Passion fruit was a curve ball, as they all loved the scent but were put off by its appearance, and many wanted to avoid tasting it.
We have enjoyed foraging for evergreens in the school woods to make the traditional table decorations. The pupils all worked hard to make them look good and are proud of their achievements. When you have enjoyed them over Christmas, please return the plastic parts so we can recycle them for next year.










