Situated in beautiful countryside, our fields, woods, pond, and gardens are a wonderful resource, making the practical day to day care of our environment a pleasure full of educational possibilities.
Philpots gardening HQ is the landcraft hut. It has an indoor classroom with tool store, green wood turning facilities and a welly room. Just outside is a bread oven, wood store, greenhouse and cold frames. The tool store has a variety of hand and power tools, including a lawn mower. It has a quorn for flour milling and various juicers, dehydrators and extendable long handled apple pickers for the apple season.
Adjacent to the landcraft area is the Philpots garden. This half-acre plot is surrounded by a rabbit and deer proof fence and has allotments, beds, herb area, soft fruit bushes and a large poly tunnel. Kitchen, garden and stable-waste is converted into compost heaps and autumn leaves are turned into leaf mould.
The children begin their studies with nature observation and meadow walks, collecting seeds and berries. Each class soon has its own vegetable and flower plot, and later progresses to greenhouse work, cereal growing, plant propagation, tree planting and then more advanced horticultural activities.
As well as growing salads, vegetables, fruits and flowers other projects are worked on in gardening and project lessons, such as compost making, hedge & tree planting, woodturning, fencing, working with willow, walking stick making, rabbit run, bird box and insect hotel making.
