Green-fingered Erdington Academy students are hoping that a wheelbarrow bursting with the ingredients of a classic afternoon tea will tempt judges at the UK’s biggest gardening show next week.
The sweet-smelling wheelbarrow is the work of the school’s weekly gardening club, which is made up of students from Years 7 to 10, guided by Assistant Principal Jason Halstead.
Next week, the Erdington entry will line up alongside creations from across the region in the School Wheelbarrow Competition, a much-loved feature at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, which runs from June 18 to 21 at the NEC.
This year’s contest has challenged students to showcase their creativity by transforming wheelbarrows into vibrant displays inspired by a meal of their choice, while growing as many ingredients as possible from seed.
By basing their wheelbarrow on a classic afternoon tea, Erdington’s gardeners are hoping winning over the judges will be a piece of cake!
Mr Halstead said: “A classic afternoon tea is all about different tastes and aromas, from finger sandwiches to warm scones with jam and miniature cakes — we wanted our wheelbarrow to capture a slice of that traditional experience.
“So, in our barrow, the judges will find chamomile, mint, lemon and lemongrass, as well as strawberries. Then there’s borage, a herb that tastes almost like cucumber, plus marigolds and pansies – all of which are edible.
“It’s been a really enjoyable project for the students to get stuck into. They have really thought it through, planned it out and worked together to grow everything from seed.
“They have been regularly attending Gardening Club for two years, and over this time they have developed into confident, responsible, environmentally aware young people with improved wellbeing, stronger teamwork skills, and a greater sense of purpose and belonging.
“Entering a competition like this also helps build their confidence, motivates them to excel, and recognises their hard work by seeing their efforts valued beyond school.”
The Erdington students will be visiting the show next week to see their creation alongside the other entries.
Mr Halstead, who has recently been nominated for the Lifetime Service Achievement Award at July’s Midlands Education Awards, added: “Now we’ll wait to see if the ingredients we put together are the judges’ cup of tea!”