I’m sure by now that you will have noticed signs of spring popping up everywhere. Last week we spent our lessons looking for, and identifying, spring flowers and plants emerging in the school grounds.
Spring flowers not only look pretty and raise our spirits, but are really important for pollinators. Bumblebees rely on spring flowers for nectar and pollen when they emerge from hibernation. It gives them the energy to fly, find a mate and lay eggs for the next generation of bumblebees.
The children were all able to name several plants and flowers as we walked, and now know that not every yellow flower is either a buttercup or a daffodil! We found new ferns growing amongst the bluebells, they looked as though an arm had punched through the ground with a tight fist at the end of it, waiting to uncurl into a hand with ‘fingers’, known as fronds, not leaves. Taking the time to stop, look and understand things we usually walk by, or take for granted in nature, helps children to make educated decisions about their own behavior when out and about. They learn to self-regulate and have respect for the world we live in.
We have been planting nasturtium flowers in Pre-Prep. Nasturtiums are edible flowers, often used in salads. They are also excellent companion plants when growing vegetables. One parent stopped me this week to say that their child had told them ‘not to put their nasturtium seed next to the fruit bowl because the bugs would come and eat it’ – I think that was my bit about companion planting!
Mrs Wilson