Functional food garden for our primary school

dockine

🖼️

The project:

We had a neglected space at our primary school and some students wanted to transform it to a food garden. The students chose to fundraise to undertake the project, doing plant and trash and treasure stalls.
Mandarin, passionfruit and blueberries were popular requests for the garden, but first we made compost and worm castings from the school worm farm. We wanted to improve the poor soil.
Our parents and community got behind the project and to finish the beautification project, created a flower and insect mural to go on the wall behind the garden.
The transformation is testament to what can be achieved while learning new skills and having fun in the outdoors.
We have photos of the sad space we took over and all the steps of the project as a reminder of our journey.

- Materials:

Roll of black builders plastic to solarise the weeds.

Tumbleweed Compost bin to improve the soil

Tumbleweed Worm farm and bedding blocks

Cyclone gardening gloves

Bamboo stakes for our snowpeas

Garden twine

Jack oxyshield landscape rings

Jack edge stakes

Jack interlocking edging

Bags of ANL cow manure

Richgrow blood and bone

Seasol

Charlie Carp fertiliser

Ezi wet water storage crystals

Mandarin, blueberry, passsionfruit, strawberries, finger lime, assorted seedlings.

Searles premium potting mix bags

9L watering can

Jack PVC coated garden mesh

Marine ply

Hex metal screws

Dulux weather shield

Paint brushes

- Tools:

Battery operated drill

Mattock

Spade

Spirit level

Mallett

- Step 1:

We solarised the weeds and couch using builders black plastic. This is the space when we started:

- Step 2:

We made compost and worm castings, using our school compost bins and worm farm. The compost bin was placed where we wanted to plant, starting with our mandarin.

We wanted to create really good soil while reducing organic matter going to landfill.

- Step 3:

After solarising the weeds, we were ready to install metal garden edging and landscape rings that were held in place with metal stakes.

- Step 4:

We put the compost, cow manure, worm castings, blood and bone and water crystals within the rings ready for planting

- Step 5:

We held food planting and watering activities with the children and learnt about the importance of including annual seedlings to attract pollinators.

- Step 6:

We laid stepping stones and pebbles and the boys loved it!

- Step 7:

We installed a mural created by a school mum with assistance from school families and community members.

- Step 8:

It’s now time to observe how our plants are growing, watch the pollinators that visit, harvest and enjoy the special place we have created.

JacobZ

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @dockine, it is fantastic to have you with us.

What a wonderful community project. The students have transformed a neglected area into a productive and inviting garden while learning about composting, soil improvement, planting and pollinators along the way. This is the kind of thing that sticks with you long beyond your school days and hopefully it inspires some of the kids to continue gardening and caring for the environment in their futures.

It’s especially impressive that they helped fundraise the project themselves with the support of parents and the wider community. The fruit trees, garden beds, stepping stones and colourful mural have created a space that should be enjoyed by the whole school for years to come.

Thank you for sharing the journey, it was a wonderful read.

Jacob