Pupils and staff at Old Basing Infants School will be delighted to learn that their educational garden has been commended at a national award ceremony.

The £12,000 garden was designed by Hampshire County Council architects who wanted to construct a space that could be used for both teaching and play. The aim was to create a contemporary landscape that was easy to maintain and changed with the seasons.

The four seasons garden

The design enables the children to learn about the four seasons through the carefully considered planting, which includes bulbs, wildflowers and seasonal plants that change colour during their lifespan. A competition was held for the pupils to help pick names for each area and settled on The Living Classroom, Butterfly Meadow, The Rockies and Pergola Paradise.

The garden offers areas for teaching in the open and in shaded areas and a combination of static seating and simple moveable logs means teachers and pupils can adapt the space for their needs, whether that is for formal teaching or impromptu gatherings. There is also a wooden sculpture in the garden depicting all the small creatures that might be found there, which was created by a local artist with the help of the schoolchildren.

The Landscape Institute Awards are presented to encourage and recognise outstanding examples of work by the landscape profession. The awards aim to bring greater awareness of the best contributions from Landscape Institute members in creating an improved environment.

Enthusiastic young gardeners

Head Teacher of Old Basing Infant School, Vera Cottrell, said: “The best thing about the garden is the enthusiasm with which the children attack their gardening time. A member of staff only has to go out and tend the garden and within minutes they are surrounded by eager children wanting to help. Let’s hope that out ‘Living Classroom’ has started them on the road to becoming our gardeners of the futures.”

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: “The garden at Old Basing Infants School is a wonderful example of creative landscaping that combines a stimulating learning environment with a relaxing play area. Receiving this commendation is a feather in the cap for our talented landscape architects and is thoroughly deserved.”

The awards were presented at a ceremony at the Brewery in London on Thursday 29 November hosted by Channel Four news presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

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