Tag: Pocket Garden Design Competition

Voting for the nation’s favourite pocket garden opens soon

Pupils across Scotland are getting ready to show their garden designs in the seventh annual Pocket Garden Design Competition, run by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful. Voting for the nation’s favourite opens on Wednesday 8 June, when all the winning designs will be available to view in a digital showcase.

Summerside Kindergarten in Edinburgh won the competition in March, going through to the final stage with a colourful garden celebrating the tale of ‘Stickman’, including favourite characters as well as creating new Stickman adventures. Since then the budding designers have been working hard building and growing their garden.

Following the huge success of the online showcase in 2021, when 38 design winners were displayed to allow a public vote, this year 340 entries were received from across Scotland. Of these 45 won a place in the digital showcase.

Schools developed environmentally friendly designs for a tiny garden telling a story, reflecting the themes of the 2022 Year of Stories, One Planet Picnic and Wildlife Gardening.

Stories are a vital part of culture and community, from well-loved tales of family and friends to famous fictional characters: they all give a sense of place, history and belonging. There are fables, legends, folklore, news stories, novels, fairy stories, investigative journalism, and myths to draw inspiration from and the young people celebrated that through their imaginative competition entries.

Children, from as young as three, were challenged to design a colourful and sustainable garden. Finished gardens will be available to view in an online showcase, where the nation will also be able to vote for their favourite Pocket Garden.

Nicola Davidson, Education and Learning Officer for Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “This year’s competition has encouraged children to tell their own stories, a wonderful part of our culture, through their garden designs. 

“We are delighted that schools and young people in Edinburgh are finding the benefits of this competition in learning, teaching and celebrating things that are important to them and their environment. 

“The Pocket Garden designs we received were practical, creative, challenging, sustainable and full of fun! We can’t wait to share this year’s stories in the digital showcase. Make sure to vote for your favourite!”

Ella McClellan, Outreach Coordinator for Scottish Book Trust, who was involved in the judging, said: “I was delighted when I was asked if I would help to judge this year’s Pocket Garden design competition, because it combines two things I feel really passionate about, reading and nature. 

“Both share really positive commonalities. Reading books that you love and spending time in nature are both proven ways of reducing stress and anxiety. Delving into new worlds through books, or discovering the vibrant wildlife around you, can also help you to feel less isolated and lonely.

“This lovely project brings both together, in a powerfully beneficial combination and I have really enjoyed ‘reading’ these garden narratives. It has been exciting to see the creative experimental gardens in this competition, ones that are unique to the young people who have designed them.”

The winning Pocket Gardens will be available to view in the digital showcase from 8-20 June at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden.

Pocket garden challenge launched

Budding garden designers are invited to tell stories in exciting competition

A nationwide competition has been launched by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful to find school pupils from across Scotland to participate in the seventh annual Pocket Garden Design Competition.

Following the huge success of the online showcase in 2021, when 38 design winners were displayed to allow a public vote, we are inviting children, from as young as three, to design a colourful and sustainable garden. 

The best design entries will be selected, and entrants invited to build and grow their garden at school before photographing or filming it to be showcased as part of an online interactive garden which will allow everyone across Scotland to vote for their favourite from 8-19 June inclusive.

This year designs should interpret three interlinked themes: The Year of Stories, One Planet Picnic and Wildlife Gardening.

Stories are a vital part of culture and community from well-loved tales of family and friends to famous fictional characters: they all give a sense of place, history and belonging. There are fables, legends, folklore, news stories, novels, fairy stories, investigative journalism, and myths to draw inspiration from and this competition encourages young people to celebrate that through their designs.

Eve Keepax, Education and Learning Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful , said: “We’re really excited to be able to announce the opening of our Pocket Garden Design Competition for 2022. 

“This competition over the years has inspired entries from across the country and we hope that in 2022 it gives educators and pupils a new focus that supports learning for sustainability, outdoor learning and the Curriculum for Excellence.

“What are the stories you and your pupils could tell through a garden design?”

Pupils are invited to submit their entries no later than 5pm on 25 February 2022 to oneplanetpicnic@keepscotlandbeautiful.org. 

Further information and inspiration from past years can be found at:

 www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden

Budding garden designers invited to enter exciting competition

Pocket garden challenge launched

Budding garden designers are invited to enter exciting competition

A nationwide competition has been launched by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful to find pupils from across Scotland to participate in the sixth annual Pocket Garden Design Competition.

Children, from as young as three, are being challenged to design a colourful and sustainable garden that could feature at the Scottish Gardens Show at Scone Palace in late May if restrictions allow, and if not in an interactive online garden showcase.

Many people have found joy as they rediscovered the nature on their doorsteps during lockdown, and the competition encourages young people to celebrate that through their designs.

Following the great success of Pocket Gardens in past years, schools from across Scotland are being encouraged to take part and develop designs for a tiny garden which reflect the four interlinked 2021 themes.

These themes include The Year of Coasts and Waters, One Planet Picnic, Wildlife Gardening and Health and Wellbeing through noticing nature.

Eve Keepax, Education and Learning Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “It’s a great competition with new opportunities!  This year an Activities at Home sheet is available to inspire children to get involved while learning at home.  

“We are excited to work with Scotland’s brand-new national gardening event – The Scottish Gardens Show at Scone Palace – to celebrate and share the innovation and creativity of Scotland’s young garden designers.

“This competition over the years has inspired entries from across the country and we hope that in 2021 it gives parents and educators a new focus as we continue a blended mix of home and in school learning.”

 Anthony McCluskey, Chair of the Garden for Life Forum, who will be involved in the judging, said: “2020 winners, that were not able to display their pocket gardens last year when the event was cancelled due to lockdown, will join winning Pocket Gardens from 2021. 

“Double joy – winning designs from two years to see!”

Brian Cunningham, Head Gardener at Scone Palace and organiser of The Scottish Garden Show, commented: “One of the aims of The Scottish Gardens Show is to showcase approaches to gardening that benefit the health of both people and the planet and it is crucial to involve children and young people as part of the life blood of the show.  

“The Pocket Gardens are a perfect fit and I’m looking forward to the inspiration and fun they will bring to the show.”

Pupils are invited to submit their entries no later than 17 March 2021 to oneplanetpicnic@keepscotlandbeautiful.org. 

Further information and inspiration from past years can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden