All schools within the Durham City AAP were offered a place to take part in Schools in Bloom and six accepted the invitation: two secondary schools, a special school and four primary schools. Pupils from each of the six schools visited Morrison Busty, the Council’s plant nursery at Annfield Plain, where they received an exclusive tour of the site and planted up their own 1 metre planters with edible flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruits. In July, these containers were placed on Elvet Bridge and the adjacent road bridge as part of Durham in Bloom.
Each participating school also received a whole-school assembly, about urban growing and container gardening, presented by a Civic Pride Officer and a member of OASES staff. The schools then each completed a whole-class garden design workshop, delivered by OASES. Following the design workshop, a class at each school planted up their own, two wooden planters with edible plants. These planters are permanently located at the schools, for the schools to refill with plants in the years to come.
All of the delivery was very well received by the schools. We have even, already been approached by schools who would like to take part in a similar project in the future. We also have a formal agreement with the Clean and Green Team that we will be able to use the 1m planters (that were purchased with this funding) for community/schools projects in future years. These are being housed at Morrison Busty.
In November, it was announced that Durham was successful in being awarded Gold in Britain in Bloom and OASES received thanks and a certificate from the Mayor for our city centre planters. One of the RHS Britain in Bloom judges congratulated us on our unique and bold use of attractive edible plants in an otherwise traditionally floral competition. The city centre planters, planted up with edibles, were also well received by members of the public and local restaurants and businesses. The containers and plants were not damaged or vandalised in any way. Clean and Green and other Durham in Bloom partners are keen for OASES to run a similar project to support schools to participate in Durham in Bloom in the future.
