When the horticultural unit at Pershore High School in Worcestershire got broken into in April last year, and all the students tools and equipment stolen, the garden industry, as it does so well, rallied round and came to their aid.
Companies including Bransford Webbs, Blue Diamond, Stewart Plastics, Stax, Mr Fothergills Seeds, St Peters Garden Centre and Westland Horticulture were on it in a flash says Head of Horticulture Anne Watson. “All the companies gave us products and many donated cash too which made it much quicker for us to get up and running again, providing for the students who were just coming back into school after lock down.”
This year Westland and Hayloft Plants have continued to support the school and its students in their work. Westland keep the school supplied with compost and other sundry items including fertilisers as the students tend their plots.
It was those plots that inspired Peter Seabrook, who was working with the school to grow Poppins Chrysanths for the display for last autumns Chelsea Flower Show, to incorporate a ‘school allotment’ into the display he was planning to bring to the 2022 gardening shows. Pershore High School, working with Val Christman and Neil Gow who worked with Peter on show displays over many years, are working with the team from Gardeners World Live to bring that to reality as a tribute to Peter and his support for the garden industry.
Anne continued: “Peter was my garden guru from a young age when I first became interested in gardening as a child, so the chance to work with Peter when I became the schools horticultural teacher was amazing. The time and interest he put into my students was incredible. So to be working on this project in commemoration of his life is such an opportunity for the students and with the support Westland are giving us with their supplies of products makes it all possible for us as we do have to be entirely self funded as a horticultural unit, so thank you Westland and the gardening industry for all your help”.