'Young Growers' help build our Herb Spiral

This week we had a fantastic group of 'Young Growers' at the farm for our Easter holiday children's activity day. During the day we learnt all about different spirals found in nature, how plants like different growing conditions and we worked together to build a herb spiral. Take a look below to learn more about how (and why) we built a herb spiral.

At lunchtime we all prepared and cooked jacket potatoes with delicious cheese and rosemary (keeping on the herb theme!), which we cooked over a fire. Any leftovers we then fed to our piglets!

Before leaving, the children sowed some herb seeds in hand-made paper pots to take home with them.

 

We plan to hold children's activity days on weekdays during all school holidays. We have our Younger Growers Activity Day coming up on 2nd April and the next one is planned for half-term holidays in May - information will be posted on our Learning Programme.

 

How and Why? - The background to our herb spiral
By building a spiral, elevated in the centre, you can create a real variety of different growing conditions in a very small space (it's definitely something you can try in your back garden at home!).

We added sand to increase drainage in the centre of the spiral, which benefits herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme and Sage which like dry conditions. Herbs that like slightly wetter conditions, such as mint will be planted towards the end of the spiral. Herbs that benefit from some shade can be planted on the north side of the spiral.

Stone was used to build the wall of the spiral as it absorbs heat from the sun which in turn will benefit the herbs. The dry-stone wall is also an important habitat for beneficial insects and even frogs and toads which will help in our battle against the slugs!

 

Many thanks to Whitehall Garden Centre and Stone Supplies Ltd for donations of herb plants and stone for our herb spiral.