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http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED09%20May%202007%2009%3A20%3A04%3A130

Children are learning gardening skills

KATIE COOPER
09 May 2007 09:19

Seasoned gardeners have been passing on their tips to the next generation of young horticulturalists to ensure Norwich stays in bloom for generations to come. The organisers of Norwich in Bloom have been working with first schools in the city to help children develop an interest in gardening, which they hope will stay with them for life. They have been working with children at St William’s Primary School, in Thorpe St Andrew, and hope to offer more children in the city the opportunity to have a go at gardening. Bob and Sue Whitworth have been inundated by children wanting to join their gardening classes at the school and have been forced to ration places in the gardening club. They use a garden in the school grounds to teach the children, aged four and five, how to maintain the garden.

Mr Whitworth said: “I think that they are important skills for them to learn and the children seem to really enjoy it. It has become very popular indeed. We teach the very young children because they are much more receptive to gardening than the older ones, so we try to start them young so that they can get really interested in it. We really need some young blood in the society to take over and help us oldies. It’s funny with the children – you find with most of them that they hate getting their hands dirty but once they get past that they are great.”

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email katie.cooper@archant.co.uk