My £2 patio pot challenge will keep your kids entertained all day in half term

WHEN David Beckham appeared at Chelsea Flower Show on Monday – it was to tease a project which aims to encourage young people to consider careers in horticulture .

There’s a huge education and skills gap in the sector – leading to a chronic shortage of workers, recent research revealed. 

Lee Connelly on the first day of his school tour in Derby SuppliedLee in a classroom teaching kids about the benefits of gardening[/caption] GettyBeckham appeared at Chelsea as part of a scheme getting youngsters into horticulture[/caption]

Beckham joined forces with Alan Titchmarsh and the Kings Foundation with the ultimate aim of getting youngsters interested in nature.

But one surefire way of starting from the ground up, is by incorporating gardening into the school curriculum.

Lee Connelly – AKA Skinny Jean Gardener – has been campaigning for the government to make such a change for years.

In fact, he spent the last week touring 30 schools either in person or remotely – reaching 10,000 primary school pupils – to teach them about the joys of horticulture.

Ahead of National Children’s Gardening week he told Sun Gardening: “It’s a great way for children to learn, it’s great for their physical and mental health, encourages them to eat more healthily through learning how to grow their own food – and being outside in their school playing field is a much better way for them to learn.”

“Really the school tour for us is a research mission to try and find out what schools want, so we can put it towards the Government to say, this is what schools need, this is what’s going on right now, and this is what we can do.

“It doesn’t matter how much money you throw at schools or how much money you spend on their school gardens, if there’s no direction for the teachers to keep that going month on month then it’s just going to be a waste of money.

“We’re not talking about having gardening lessons, we’re talking about incorporating it into current subjects like maths and english.

“Gardening teaches kids patience – and if you choose plants that they care about and have to spend time looking after, it gives them a real sense of responsibility.”

Elia Johnston, from the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), said: “Getting gardening into every school is absolutely vital for the next generation.

“It provides incredible benefits for children’s physical and mental wellbeing, connects them with nature, and teaches invaluable life skills.

“Hands-on gardening brings the curriculum to life in a unique and engaging way.

“ As National Children’s Gardening Week begins, the HTA hopes that schools will embrace getting children’s hands dirty – the benefits bloom long after the plants do.”

And Manuella Perteghella, Lib Dem MP for Stratford-on-Avon, who’s been campaigning alongside Lee to get gardening on the school curriculum, added: “Gardening deserves a place in our national curriculum, not just as a hobby, but as a vital life skill that nurtures wellbeing, resilience, and a deep connection with the natural world.

“When children learn to grow and care for plants, they also learn patience, responsibility and the value of nurturing something beyond themselves.

“Across the country, we’ve seen the joy and pride it brings to young people, particularly when they can see the fruits of their efforts bloom.

“With the curriculum review currently underway, now is the time to recognise the value of gardening in schools.”