It feels as though a lot has happened since my last update, both within Seashell and the wider world.  Even in my small area we have not escaped the collateral damage of the pandemic, and some of my most cherished plans have had to be postponed.  However, that did not mean we were unproductive – not in the least. 

From September until the half term break my fabulous team of promising, post 16 gardeners, worked tirelessly in producing a range of beautiful autumn and winter planters to sell.  Normally we set up a stall in the school dining room over the morning break but his year had to be a little different.  Undaunted, we borrowed an enormous flat-bed trolley, loaded it up with our wares, and parked up at various outdoor locations across site.  On the one hand this was a much trickier thing to do given the transitions required, but on the other hand we managed to capture a whole new range of customers from admin and college.  There’s always a silver lining so they say!

Younger students were kept very busy planting up our new strawberry beds and potting up the runners.  If you are keen to have a go at home, strawberries are a great starting point for growing.  The plants are easy to handle and very undemanding in either the ground or a pot – though they don’t like to sit in water and can struggle on heavy clay.  After the second year, plant up the runners and start the process again, discarding the original plants.  After that, all you need is a bit of summer sunshine.  We grow two varieties here: Elsanta and Cambridge both of which are readily available in either supermarkets or garden centres.  Cambridge tends to crop first with the Elsanta fruiting a week or two later.

 As well as all the students who helped with the planting, I have to give a special mention to my post 16 student who, in lieu of off-site work experience, turned out every week to assist with sales.  I put it down to his direct selling techniques that we managed to sell every last planter. 

And on the subject of ‘Thank yous’, I would like to take a moment to offer my heartfelt gratitude to: Lloyds; Finnis Scott, and the Ecclesiastical groups who have generously donated to the gardening enterprise. Unsurprisingly I have a very heavy mortality rate on equipment while my students go through the process of learning how to use tools properly; to know that such casualties can be replaced as needed is a great help in providing continuous learning opportunities for them.

In the middle of winter, while the garden sleeps, the students and I move into the relative warmth of the hut and start on our winter crafts.  This year we embarked on what can only be described as a mammoth collaboration with our fundraising team, in that we undertook to make 100 wreaths to be sold to friends, families and supporters.  Back in the summer, when fundraising and I first talked about this, it didn’t seem ridiculously ambitious.  However, I freely admit that as November wore on and the due date to start selling approached, I had more than one sleepless night over it!  As ever, I should have known better and put my faith in the students who, as a school, rose to the challenge magnificently.

The results have been even better than I could have hoped.  This exercise was not about creativity but, as is the case for so much of my work, about teaching repeatable processes using a range of co-ordination skills. The students worked to a template and the items to be put on were limited to those appearing on the exemplar.  Multiple students worked on the same wreath to ensure that we had some completed by the end of each day.  By the end of the third week of making, I had become virtually redundant as so many of the students were able to work relatively independently.  It was my job to tighten up all the wires and add any bits that were missing.  Nothing that was added by a student was ever removed, and the bulk of the items were either chosen or added by the students.  I cannot explain how proud I am of the efforts of both the students and the marvellous staff who support them.  If you purchased one I hope it has given you pleasure over the Christmas period as we thoroughly enjoyed making them.

The new year will bring its own challenges, but also opportunities, and in particular with regard to our somewhat dilapidated greenhouses.  In my next update I should have some good news to share with everyone on this front as a long-time friend to Seashell has come forward with a very timely offer of help.  If all goes to plan we should be able to get a head start on the growing season and be well prepared for a very different summer to this year’s.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year.

Jean Barratt