Shropshire Star

Garden plan takes off at Tenbury school

Pupils are planning a garden that will be out of this world for a spring show in the coming weeks.

Published
Pupils Hector Corrie, Dan Grinnall and Beth Taylor get gardening with teacher Jordan Scott, holding a copy of the Abberley Hall space rocket book.

Abberley Hall School is putting together a green-fingered masterpiece for the forthcoming Royal Horticultural Society's Malvern Spring Festival – and taking pride of place amongst it will be a spectacular space rocket, planets and stars.

The schools challenge at the annual gardening show this year takes the theme of ‘space’ and the Abberley children, aged from nine to 13, have been working on the project for several weeks.

The children from the school at Great Witley, near Tenbury Wells, will be travelling south to the show at the Three Counties Showground near Worcester, which runs for four days from May 11.

Jordan Scott, head of design and manufacture, as well as outdoor education, at the school, said the garden had yet to be put together but would look striking.

He said: “The theme of space is a great one for Abberley Hall this year as we have just had a children’s book published which transforms the landmark clock tower in our grounds into a rocket.

“So we decided to use a rocket as the centre piece of our entry and there will be planets floating around it, all displaying a huge variety of flowers, shrubs and plants.

“The children are using a range of skills and crafts to make a contribution and they have enjoyed working together as a team to put the garden together – we are hoping visitors and of course judges appreciate our efforts.”

Every year The Malvern Spring Festival schools challenge invites groups of pupils to take part in the event with the aim of inspiring the next generation of horticulturists and garden.

After the show the planted rocket will return to the grounds Abberley Hall School, where it will go on display in time for an open morning on May 20, when prospective pupils and their parents are invited to tour the 90-acre site and its facilities.

The school educates around 250 children aged from two to 13.