International School Parent Magazine - Autumn 2019

GARDENS SWITZERLAND
- AUTUMN
With the long summer holidays
over, and the prospect of
a productive autumn term
ahead, this is a good time to think about
gardens and gardening, both in and out of
school. There is a great deal of evidence
that shows that kids and adults are happier,
make better food choices and have
improved self-confidence if they can spend
some time outdoors in a garden setting. It
can be difficult to find the time to do this
in a busy school day, particularly if your
school doesn’t have any outdoor space, or
you live in an apartment, but there are lots
of fun and interesting ways to get kids into
gardening, even if you don’t have a garden.
Projects for home
Autumn is a time when the days are getting
shorter, and the weather is less appealing so
think about ways that you can get growing
and use the space that you have.
Spring flowering bulbs like daffodils and
crocuses are best bought from September
onwards, when the choice is broadest and
the bulbs are still fresh. These are terrific
when grown in pots for a balcony or terrace,
and with some careful planning, you can
have colour from January right through to
June. The trick for long-lasting colour is to
“layer” the bulbs in the pot. Each type of
spring flowering bulb will then push their
way to the top of the pot when it’s time for
them to bring the fireworks, and you can
pack in a surprising number of bulbs into
a small space. You can buy kits of different
kinds of bulbs, or you can make your own.
Start off with a pot intended for use
outside, that has drainage holes in it, and
fill the base with expanded clay balls to
help keep the drainage holes free of roots
and soil. Then you can add a layer of soil
or bagged compost, about 10cm, and start
planting. The biggest and latest flowering
bulbs, such as alliums or tulips, go in on
the bottom layer. They need to be at least
10cm from the top, but can be up to 25cm
from the top. Cover them over with soil or
bagged compost and put in the mediumsized
bulbs, like daffodils. Repeat with the
smallest bulbs, like crocuses or muscari. I
like to tuck some winter-flowering plants
like pansies in on the top, for some extra
colour before the bulbs start to appear in
January or February. Keep the pot watered
over the winter, and you’ll be rewarded
with masses of pretty blooms for months.
You can try pots with just one colour
of plants, or clashing, multi-coloured
ones, or even search out some sweetsmelling
combinations like the daffodil
“Cheerfulness” with the tulip “Prinses
Irene.”
Projects for school
School gardens make fantastic outdoor
classrooms, not just for learning about
growing food, plant development and
reproduction but also for topics like ecology
and the environment. As we head towards
the winter, this is the time to think about
what helpful insects you might like to find in
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