By Michael Newhouse
ONE of Australia’s most famous gardeners literally dropped in on Glengala Primary School staff and students last week, as judges for this year’s state Schools’ Garden Awards arrived via helicopter to check out the school’s horticultural handywork.
Gardening Australia green guru Jane Edmanson arrived with three other judges last Thursday to tour of the school’s vegetable and memorial gardens, judging the gardens not just on aesthetics but on the contribution from the school’s staff and students.
Glengala’s sustainable schools coordinator Edith Corbett told Star the children had cultivated a number of gardens, including an Anzac memorial designed as a tribute to defence forces, a tribute to a former student who passed away in a house fire, and a vegetable garden.
“They were really rapt to be able to greet the judges,” Ms Corbett said, saying most of the school’s 220 students streamed out at recess to see the helicopter touch down.
“They were so ecstatic.”
Asked about how she thought the school performed under the judges’ scrutiny, Ms Corbett admitted, “it’s hard to say,” but said she thought they were rather impressed by the vegetable garden.
The judges spent half an hour walking around with a group of students, before sitting down for a lunch that was prepared with a little help from the students’ vegetable garden.
The school is one of 36 in Victoria competing in this year’s garden finals, but is only competing against five other schools of a similar size.
The Victorian Education Minister will announce the winners at a ceremony at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens on 7 December.
