The school garden has been busy over the summer, quietly changing and filling with surprises. From the exotic to the everyday, the garden has flourished: purple-striped aubergines are beginning to shine, chillies are glowing bright red, and ginger is slowly unfurling alongside peppers, cucumbers, and a rainbow of tomatoes. The luffa vine has taken over, Christmas potatoes are on their way, and pumpkins are beginning to swell and ripen, while butternut squash and tromboncinos steadily grow.
There are clear signs that the seasons are beginning to turn—the days are shortening, berries are ripening, gourds are fattening, and the apple trees are ready to be picked to make autumn crumbles. Watermelon and cantaloupe melon are still swelling with sweetness, a final taste of summer before the gentle shift into autumn.
As the children return to school this week, the garden is ready to greet them—its harvest tucked beneath leaves and vines, full of treasures waiting to be explored and enjoyed.
