St Mary's Calne's Grow Club has rounded off another successful year with its annual visit to Bowood Gardens, where pupils explored the estate's historic gardens and discovered more about the surprising properties of plants.
The group was given a guided tour of the Walled Garden and Vegetable Garden by Bowood's Educational Visits and Community Coordinator, Gina Read. Focusing on the theme 'Powerful plants: help or harm?', the tour explored how some plants have medicinal uses while others can be highly poisonous.
A highlight of the day was a visit inside Bowood's 18th-century glasshouse, home to the estate's historic Muscat d'Alexandrie grapevine. They also explored the sensory garden, admired the wildflower borders and learned how gardeners protect crops from local wildlife.
The visit clearly made an impression.
"I loved today as it was very educational, fun and I learned lots of new and interesting facts," one pupil said.
Another described foxgloves as their favourite plant, saying they were "so pretty but... poisonous and medicinal as well – fascinating".
The Bowood trip marked the end of another busy year for the club, which has spent recent months growing fruit, vegetables and flowers, while also raising £115 through its annual plant sale to help fund future activities.
Want to know what’s on in Calne? Visit our local events page for listings and to find out how to add your own events for free. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news. Have you got a story for us? Email editor@calnenews.com
