During the 2024–2025 school year, pupils took part in the creation and care of a pedagogical garden designed to support hands-on learning about food production and plant growth. Due to local conditions, the garden was organised into two complementary areas, combining work on and beyond the school grounds.

Alongside the vegetable garden, pupils also regularly visited a local orchard, allowing them to observe fruit trees in a real agricultural setting.

Who took part

The activities involved 22 pupils, supported by 3 teachers. Pupils were actively engaged at every stage, from preparing the ground to observing plant development.

Garden locations

The project was carried out across three sites:

• a 200 m² field located next to the school, provided by a neighbouring farm
• a small area of cold frames (4 m²) on the school grounds
• an apple orchard in the village of Stare Jabłonki

Each location offered different learning opportunities and helped pupils understand how growing conditions vary.

Activities in the garden

Pupils were involved in practical gardening activities adapted to each space.

In the neighbouring field, pupils planted potatoes and followed their growth through regular observation.

In the cold frames on the school grounds, pupils sowed and planted vegetables and herbs, watered the plants, removed weeds, and monitored their condition throughout the season.

In the orchard, pupils observed apple trees and took part in an educational meeting focused on fruit growing.

Crops grown and observed

The pupils worked with a variety of crops during the year:

• potatoes grown in the neighbouring field
• radish, dill, parsley, lettuce, lovage, oregano, marjoram, peppers, tomatoes and strawberries grown in the school cold frames
• apple trees observed in the local orchard

Workshops and complementary activities

The gardening activities were supported by additional workshops linked to observation, documentation and food preparation.

A photography workshop helped pupils develop skills needed to document plant growth and seasonal changes, contributing to project outputs such as a shared cookbook.

A cooking workshop focused on preparing dishes using apples, helping pupils connect food production with everyday meals.

An educational visit to the orchard in Stare Jabłonki allowed pupils to observe apple trees in their natural environment and deepen their understanding of local food systems.