Town's youngsters appeal to all the senses with Bloom entries

Normally, such remarks refer to the way a garden or a planter looks.

But the challenge for this year's youth competition demanded something very special of young gardeners.

As a result, the team of judges included two special people.

In addition to Rother parks officer Rebecca Owen and Matt Hunt of sponsors Freedom Leisure, the judges included Grace Bitten and Sheila Hansford.

Both Grace and Sheila are partially-sighted.

So, when Grace exclaimed: "Oh! That's beautiful!" she was not looking at a school display but had her nose buried deeply in it.

The challenge to the town's young people this year is to create sensory gardens taking in sound, touch, smell and taste as well as the visual aspect.

Together with drivers John Willis and Cllr Jimmy Carroll, and carers Chris Bitten and Elixia Taylor, the judges had been given an exacting schedule on Monday by Bexhill in Bloom chairman Sandra Melvin '“ six primary schools and a Brownie group to inspect.

But at the end of the day they faced an even tougher task '“ choose a winner and runner-up. Given the same challenge, seven competing teams with seven differing locations and backgrounds had come up with seven diverse solutions.

St Peter and St Paul School Church of England School began 2008 with a blank canvas. Their garden had to be created from scratch.

With the help of Pollyanna, Josh and Josh, teacher Alex Edmonds explained how pupils had designed miniature gardens within their garden, weeded and prepared the soil and planted to appeal to all the senses.

Lavendar and mint and curry plant vied for attention.

But it was the aroma of bruised lemon mint which brought Grace's cry of delight.

From this promising start, the group went to St Mary Magdalene's Roman Catholic School.

There, the Eco Club had a display board setting out their objectives. Daniel, Chloe and Jordan were their guides under Helen Jarvis.

Monday lunch-times and after-school hours have been devoted since the winter to putting the plans into action.

Sunflowers and marigolds provide the visual drama outside with labels carefully denoting whether the planted areas are devoted to smell, taste or touch.

Windchimes tinkled as the judges examined tomatoes grown from seeds, basil and bottlebrush, lemon thyme and grevillea.

The children's enthusiasm was echoed by that of pupils of Pebsham School where a "Welcome to Bexhill In Bloom" banner was hung and the adjoining nursery.

At Pebsham, each class has its own garden area '“ each competing for attention.

The kitchen garden is shared with the nursery as are the fruits of their labours.

Under science teacher Sandra Hayes, a succession of young guides explained how the school's many in-built planters plus its sheltered courtyard had been put to sensory good use.

The school Eco Club meets on Thursdays and Fridays. The school has its own composters.

A display told of a school trip to the millennium seed bank at Wakehurst Place; artwork illustrated the children's understanding that food has to be grown and does not arrive ready-made on supermarket shelves.

Fold-out classwork showed the development of a broad bean.

Delicious strawberries awaited picking in the joint vegetable garden shared with the nursery where potatoes were growing in a dustbin and a scarecrow stood guard.

Rather than discard an old sink, the school created an alpine garden in it.

Glyne Gap special needs school hosted South East in Bloom judges last week.

Their success story was repeated for the Bexhill in Bloom judges on Monday.

Sensory gardens have a special place in a special school and, as acting head Di Gargett told the visitors: "The garden will speak for itself..."

Volunteer Eileen Summers showed the visitors the zen garden where a water feature tinkles, the herb garden working area and pupils' efforts producing crops in their vegetable box garden.

The school is justifiably proud of the fact that Robert Smith gained a Highly Commended at the Mencap photographic competition for his garden study.

Space is at a premium at King Offa School. So the best use has to be made of a tiny bed, planters and a small but productive kitchen garden.

Teaching assistant and King Offa Association chairman Jane Jenner was the guide together with gardening club members whose enthusiasm was typical of all the youngsters encountered on the day.

Sunflowers are racing to look over the school railings.

Planting which had been the subject of careful planning and preparation ticked all the sound, touch, taste and smell boxes as well as visual effect.

As the reception class kitchen garden revealed, there is more to gardening than back-aching work.

Headteacher Jenni Miller explained that pupils get to harvest, cook and eat the vegetables.

A corner of the garden at Little Common Methodist Church which had been covered in bind-weed is now a colourful and scented area tended by the 5th Bexhill Brownies, who meet in the church hall.

And all because a vandal destroyed a tree.

When the apple tree planted by a former member in Broadoak Park was vandalised, the father of another member gave the Brownies a replacement.

In its first season, it has ten apples.

The Brownies' other efforts have also born fruit.

Their leader and Kestrel, Liz Berriman, explained that because they meet for only an hour a week, the rest of the planting is in easily-tended pots.

Little Commmon Business Association responded to the Brownies' contribution to the association fair by sponsoring the cost of weed-preventing membrane and gravel.

Village traders have also donated to what has become a community effort to which, as the Brownies explained with enthusiasm, their horticultural efforts have added the sound, smell, touch, taste and colour.

The clipboard-toting team returned to Broadoak Park environmental centre to cudgel their brains

So much so see. So much youthful enthusiasm '“ and well-presented knowledge.

Who'd be a judge...?