Gardeners from across the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) came together this Summer for the North’s biggest horticultural event – The RHS Flower Show, Tatton Park

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is the UK’s leading gardening charity which aims to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.

Pupils from schools across the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) took part in the event, including Handforth Grange Primary School, The Ellesmere Port Church of England College and Birches Head Academy.

Throughout the week, the show welcomed tens of thousands of guests, with the RHS National Flower Bed Competition, School Gardens, Show Gardens and Floral Marquee across a 28-acre site.

The competition provided school pupils with the amazing opportunity to design, grow, build and showcase a garden at an RHS Show. By participating, children were able to gain invaluable hands on experience with plants and horticulture, while developing an understanding of different growing practices and environmentally-friendly gardening.

The RHS Flower Show has a big community focus, with charities, schools and volunteer groups playing a huge part in the show, which was first held in 1999. Schools were asked to create their gardens in either a 3m x 3m (primary) or 4m x 4m (secondary) plot. 

Mark Unwin, Deputy CEO (FFET) and Head Teacher at Handforth Grange Primary School said: “It was a great honour for the Frank Field Education Trust to have one of the first Trust gardens at the RHS Tatton Flower Show and also continue its 5 year tradition of supporting the RHS School Gardens with a separate Primary School garden. The RHS Tatton Flower Show gives us a brilliant opportunity to showcase the opportunity to work together across the trust and the importance we place on outdoor education in growing Social and Cultural Capital. Seeing the students from the three schools working harmoniously to dig and create the gardens was very special.”