help

hello all, i need some advice i am volunteer for a local school to help manage the garden areas , they have this new formed flower bed and i personally i think they have put the wrong plants in there , the boarder is meant to teach children about plants and wildlife so the plants need to attracted insects to them and also be easy maintenance so the children can learn how to look after them, they need to have colour so the children are attracted to the plants instead of plane green and show interest , can anyone give me advice please as this has been bugging me for a while now. i have attached quite a few pictures if they are any help.

 

Some robust herbs and/or salads in an "eat me" bed is good. Will you be looking after the beds during the summer? One of the problems with school gardens is the long summer holidays when everything can die off and also that flowers need to flower early in the year rather than at their best in July & August.

Are there bulbs in ready for the spring and some plants which change colour in the autumn? Schools usually like projects on leaf shapes & colour in the first term. You could also have insect hotels planned for overwintering.

I'd be looking at some late summer bulbs now, Crocosmia, which you'll never get rid of no matter how much they're abused or trampled on, Anemones and Asters or Michaelmas Daisies.

I think you should also consider the three terms which most schools follow so a bed for the autumn, one for the winter/spring and one for late spring/early summer. Also short lived plants are fine as there will be different children each year. Perhaps talk to the teachers about any themes being followed in the classroom, you may be able to complement it with suitable plants, eg plants which have a long history or have come form a particular part of the world etc

Should be great fun.