We are delighted to inform you that we have been awarded 1st prize for our Mud Club from a competition run by Ruxley Garden Centre after Niki and Sue entered into the Ruxley in Bloom 2023 Best School Allotment.
Presented by Jim Buttress, one of the UK’s leading gardening experts who visited Monkey Puzzle Bromley on Tuesday 27th June. He was superintendent of the Royal Parks for 25 years and his clients have included her Majesty the Queen and his old friend the Queen Mother. Jim’s love of gardening began when having been excluded from class, he was set to work in the school walled garden and he never looked back. As a judge at the RHS, Jim presides over the country’s favourite flower shows including Chelsea, Hampton Court and well now Monkey Puzzle Bromley!
Jim and the judges recognised that Mud Club is a wonderful space which has been created to support the children’s understanding and enjoyment of gardening and nature.
Niki and Sue were presented with a £50 voucher to spend at Ruxley Garden Centre as well as a very nice and shiny trophy!! They are already putting their heads together with a range of wonderful ideas to develop this space further.
“We are so surprised and delighted to win top prize. As it was the first time we have entered any sort of competition we didn’t think we would be able to compete with the other schools. Got to be in it to win it! Look out for our next venture, we have already got our thinking caps on for next year!” – Niki and Sue
I’m sure that the success of Mud Club has popped up on a few Facebook posts over time but we continue to be amazed at the development of this space which allows for a quiet, welcoming and relaxing space for the children to thrive.
If you haven’t ventured over, or even into the space feel free to take a wander next time you are at nursery.
We would love to see any photos from home of any garden spaces and any green fingered children’s planting and growing of flowers or vegetables if you could send via email or upload to Learning Journals that would be great!
Some of our children said:
“I want to eat all the strawberries and raspberries”
“I’m going to grow a water lemon”
“Look at the snail, it is eating the leaves”
