SCHOOL GARDENS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 December 1925, Page 10

SCHOOL GARDENS.

A USEFUL. SCHOOL ADJUNCT

The instructors of the Education Board who visited the schools on Wednesday were interested in the gardens attached to the schools, and found that these in each case were well maintained and were in excellent order. At Ohangai there is a large area of lawn, and it was kept close cut, and provides, besides space for three tennis lawns, an area for general purposes. The childi’en do all that work, in addition to keeping the garden plots and seed beds, and never need to he told to do it, said Mrs Songster, the headmistress. The seedling pines, eucalypti and also the Rotorua, plantations, are sent from the Rotorua plantations, are at' doing well. The latter were some time ago moved down to. a more sheltered position, and are showing the benefit of the change. Round the school residence the plots containing a good collection of roses of various colours.

At Mokoia a special feature is the series of seed beds which are all doing well. The rest of the garden is also well looked after. An artistic lay-out is to be seen at Noiinanby. The wide path from the memorial gates sweeps out towards the school, making two fine garden plots The scheme was laid out by Mr Mit eheil. the headmaster. On one side i? a garden full of shrubs and flowers laid out bv Mr Grant, of Normanby, and on the other is a plantation all of native shrubs, sent, in some years ago by Mr IS. Maxwell, of Rahotu. There are also flower borders, full of pretty blooms, round the school building.

Much good work is also evident at Tawhiti (Nolantown). There are flower borders along the paths and round the school, and the hedges are kept in good order.

There is a pretty corner garden in the Tokaora school grounds, bordered mainly bv native shrubs. They enclose n fine collection of roses, apnrox■npi+e’y Urtv-five varieties, and all cor’’eoUv and clearly named. These make a brave show, and the garden is a credit to +be teachers and the children/ Those are just a few of the school gardens in this district, hut they serve *o i-Hiicnte that excellent work is being done.