Next spring more than 20 million seeds will be sown in the landmark’s moat, filling it with flowers through spring and summer to create a ‘Superbloom’ to mark the Queen’s 70-year reign.
Historic Royal Palaces is encouraging children to join the celebration by sowing seeds in school gardens, creating spaces that will use nature to promote wellbeing as well as biodiversity.
The Tower of London's moat will be transformed by wildflowers. Photo: Luke Forsyth
As one of the project partners, Thrive will support the event by providing classroom gardening-for-health resources for teachers and pupils to create their own Superbloom gardens. Schools will receive a support package from the Superbloom team at the Tower, including free seeds to be sown in February which will be the same mix as those grown at the tower.
This is an invaluable opportunity to engage children with gardening and to help them experience how it can benefit their health and wellbeing
Thrive's Damien Newman
As part of a package of support, teachers from around 50 schools have already received training from Thrive as part of a fuller days support at the Tower on how to create gardens that promote wellbeing and good mental health. We’ll also be offering ongoing support to develop ideas for gardens.
Helping teachers
Damien Newman, Thrive’s Training and Education Manager, said: ‘This is an invaluable opportunity to engage children with gardening and to help them experience how it can benefit their health and wellbeing.
‘Using our many years of experience of working with children in our own gardens, we will be helping teachers understand the different approaches to creating gardens, for example for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, or gardens with a curriculum focus.
‘Recognising the heavy demands on teachers, we’ll be developing easy to access resources that will offer practical ideas to create gardens that children will want to engage with.’
Schools interested in getting free seeds and resources need to sign-up here.
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