Thursday, May 13, 2010

Fab Gardens At Malvern

Back To The Future is the name of this wonderful garden and it was designed and built by the pupils (groups 5-8) of the  Parkside Middle School in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.
The garden theme was reduce, reuse and recycle and they certainly did. Just look at that fantabulous greenhouse made from plastic bottles. And if you think they threw away the bottles tops, think again!
Isn't this the best reuse of plastic bottle tops ever? And it's so very pretty too, not to mention colourful. It was a dull day that first day of the Malvern Flower Show but this perked us all up.
Here are two of the culprits pupils responsible for creating this absolutely gorgeous garden where sustainability plays a major part. It was fun meeting these two lovely girls who were so proud of their garden, and rightly so, and they both did an excellent PR job as well.
These junior gardeners & designers also grew many of the plants themselves, including herbs and vegetables. And you haven't heard the best bit yet; they also have their own allotment at school. Suddenly I wish I was a pupil there, don't you?
 This garden shows how easy and wonderful it is to reuse plastic bottles. The pupils from the Parkside Middle School not only used the bottles to built a fab greenhouse, the bottle tops to create the most wonderful murals but also used the bottle bottoms to create a plastic bubble path and a bird feeding station as well. It took a lot of bottle to design and create a brilliant garden like this. Well done!
Another most fantabulous garden that made my heart sing was this one created by the students in the supported learning area of Herefordshire College of Technology. Isn't it just the best? It's called The Time Machine and it takes us on a journey from the very first Malvern show in 1985 to the future in 2035.
Have you spotted their colourful greenhouse made from plastic bottles? Bottles were a bit of a theme  at Malvern and so was sustainability, no doubt about that. Inside the greenhouse loads of hightech stuff that put the Doctor's sonic screwdriver to shame. And anyway, who wants a lame Tardis when you can have a greenhouse like this?

Loved the green wall and the scarecrow in the back too! A big thank you to the students who showed me around and whose enthousiasm was so infectious. You have created a wonderful garden; well done to each and everyone of you!

From a designer's point of view I thought that most of the gardens designed and built by children and teenagers made some of the show gardens designed by adults look a bit meh. The above is garden design at its best; no rules, no bounderies, no what-will-the-neighbours/other-designers-think attitude but pure fun and joy as that is what gardening is all about. At least it is for me.

copyright 2010 Y.E.W. Heuzen

24 comments:

sophie munns said...

Hi Yolanda,
this is a pretty fantastic result for a school project... how they pulled it together so well I'm wondering!
great to see what can be achieved!
ciao,
S

Gail said...

Yolanda, These gardens were wonderful~Great lessons in never underestimating the talent of school children and their inspiring teachers. Don't you just love the garden sheds! gail

Matron said...

So encouraging to see young people taking an interest in designing gardens and growing stuff. I thought it was just us old fogeys that enjoyed it! What lovely, bright ideas! Sorry I couldn't meet up with you this time, work gets in the way. Lets try again some time.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I so agree that the energy and vibrancy of youth is well displayed here. Love the bottle top art. I saw a piece in a museum of smashed cans making this art comparable.

Rosie@leavesnbloom said...

Our local primary school collected loads of lemonade bottles from the community and made a shelter for their school garden made from the bottles and then painted flowers on them. I think its a great way to recycle - but they never thought of making a mosaic like those ones in your pictures.

Its great to get the youngesters involved in the garden. Thanks for sharing your pics.

Window On The Prairie said...

Wow, that was a lot of work, but the results are fantastic.

Katarina said...

How wonderful! These pupils sure have both imagination and a skill for design. Love the greenhouse!

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

It's great what the kids came up with, and I love those greenhouses. (Sorry about that pun!)

Pam/Digging said...

Well, those ARE really great gardens. What talented young designers. Thanks for sharing the show with those of us who couldn't be there, unlike two jet-setting Americans I could name. What, no pics of them?

TYRA Hallsénius Lindhe said...

Yes Yolanda, they are really fab. Lovely to see those cute and talented pupils. I was so close to go to Malvern but I couldn't in the end, I sure would love to meet you all. I but you had a wonderful time despite the weather.

xoxo Tyra

HappyMouffetard said...

Imagination and enthusiasm - it's good the children can remind us that this is what it should all be about :-)

Linda said...

Amazing projects, which I would of loved to view. Thanks for sharing them.

garden girl said...

Looks like a wonderful trip Yolanda! It's awesome seeing such young folks showing such creativity and hard work in their garden.

Helen at summerhouse said...

The kids did a great job on their gardens. Like the mosaic with the bottlecaps and the strawberries in the bags on the fence. Lots of imagination.

Dee @ Red Dirt Ramblings said...

I like the sense of play from the color throughout the garden. So beautiful. I bet they had a bit of help don't you? I hope you had fun at Malvern.~~Dee

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

What a lovely post! It's so exciting to see young people so into gardening. I love it! Bright and colorful is my motto.

gardenbeet said...

i love the blue bottle building - great

Laetitia said...

goodness I wish I'd been there at Malvern. You're so right about kids being uninhibited by 'limitations'..brilliant

Esther Montgomery said...

Hope no footballs come over the wall.

Esther Montgomery

em said...

wow, love the tulip border! i guess that's in your garden?

philippine flowers said...

Oh! Those flowers caught my attention. It seems you have a great flower gardens. How I wish I could have a cool garden like yours. Keep it up!


-pia-

Stone Art's Blog said...

Thats great, i like the plastic bottle top mosaic

*Ulrike* said...

I wish they would have had school projects like that when I was young! Wow! I can't believe all the things they used to make such beautiful items. I really like the greenhouse, did they say or could you tell how it was held together? I'm sure that was a fun day!!

easygardener said...

I think I agree with you about the children's gardens being more interesting than some of the show gardens. They are less conformist which is a breadth of fresh air. I was amazed at the plastic bottle greenhouses. Nice to meet you at Malvern - good to put a face to Bliss!