The Year 10 Genesis group at Cardinal Langley RC High School are happy to confirm that work on our school garden is well underway.

He project involves the development of a prayer garden at school which will be available for students as a reflective space. The area is currently unused and students will develop the area as a safe space but also caring for our common home through growing fruit and vegetables.

Since receiving confirmation for our project funds, contractors have been hired to clear weeds and overgrown plants. After visiting the cleared garden in a recent meeting, we’ve been forming plans and arranging dates to meet after school, to begin gardening and preparing this blank canvas.

We have previously created a to scale digital layout/plan, a collection of our ideas, using satellite images. Together with an ex-landscaper working at our school, we have developed a step-by-step plan that we will be executing, and have confirmed some materials that we will be purchasing in order to make this garden a reality.

We’re organising a date, within the next week/two weeks or so, to begin physically preparing and organising this garden, putting the first steps into action. For example, we will be measuring the bedding and ordering wooden planks to repair it, we will be brushing down the currently slippy decking and finishing it with decking protector, and generally picking the litter around the area while doing some extra clearing/weeding.

As a group, we have improved our school’s front cross by weeding it, and planting new plants provided to the school by the council. This has helped us to gain familiarity with physical gardening, as we take this on board when thinking about our garden - our next big project.

Additionally, we have been introduced to Mr Lourdes, an ex-landscaper who helps around our school. He is eager to support us and to ensure our ideas are integrated into the garden as smoothly as possible, helping make this garden a reality.

 On behalf of our group, we’d like to thank you for your interest and support as we begin to put our plans and ideas into practice. We have created teams and have agreed to meet consistently after school, or during half term times, to ensure that this project is completed thoroughly.