Children got stuck into some serious gardening over half term at the Bloomin’ Kids gardening workshops. Around 50 children with their mums, dads, carers or grandparents took part in the workshops run by Farnham Town Council and the award-winning Farnham in Bloom Community Group at the Town Council’s greenhouses.
“These workshops are always really popular – which is great as it means we’re growing a generation of children who enjoy gardening and the natural world. The children learnt skills such as how to plant a bulb and got an understanding of what is needed to grow healthy, strong plants. As the workshop was the day before Halloween, the children also worked with their grown-ups to make a papier-mâché spider to take home,” says Iain Lynch, Town Clerk at Farnham Town Council.
The two workshop sessions were held on the Wednesday of half term and, thanks to sponsorship from The Farnham Institute Charity, they were completely free, which provided families with a cost-free all-weather activity. The workshops, which take place each year in the October half term and Easter holidays, are run by volunteers from the Farnham in Bloom Community Group alongside Council staff.
The organisers brought even more enthusiasm to the workshops than usual, spurred on by the astounding news last week (Friday 25 October) that Farnham had not only won gold in the Britain in Bloom competition but also best in category for best town / city centre.
Involving all parts of the community, particularly children and young people, is an important part of Farnham’s approach to its In Bloom activities and one of the reasons judges scored it so highly in the competition. The Farnham Institute Charity sponsored the workshops, providing all the additional materials and equipment needed. Although the fruits of Farnham in Bloom are most visible in the summer months, the organisers run activities and need volunteers all year round. The planning for next year’s competition entry is already underway and residents are encouraged to keep an eye out in the coming months for ways of supporting and getting involved.
