Discover more on this page – from knowing your soil type to planting your pants, there’s so much to explore!
Discover more on this page – from knowing your soil type to planting your pants, there’s so much to explore!
This summer National Garden Scheme Ambassador, gardener and TV presenter Danny Clarke, joined the children at Ghyllgrove Primary School, Essex to see the impacts of our funding for the Country Trust’s Food Discovery programme first hand.
“Seeing the children eulogizing about what they have done in the garden has been inspiring.”
In 2025, the National Garden Scheme made an additional donation of £35,000 to support The Country Trust’s Food Discovery Programme for a second year. This initiative provides hands-on food education for primary-aged children, helping them connect with the land, grow and cook their own produce; supporting their physical and mental wellbeing.
It’s a chance for children to be themselves and out in the fresh air, it makes them smile.
Watch the film featuring the pupils and teachers of Grinling Gibbons Primary School who took part in Food Discovery sessions made possible through the support of The National Garden Scheme.
A Childwise survey, commissioned by The Country Trust, revealed that around a third of children don’t have the opportunity to put their hands in soil, either through play or soil-based activities such as gardening, at home or at school.
Yet, encouraging kids to get their hands in the soil isn’t just for fun, it’s an essential part of a child’s physical, mental, and emotional development, and helps them to build a fundamental connection to the natural world and to food we all eat.
Click the button to find out more about this pantastic campaign.
Knowing your soil type is essential for successful farming and gardening. Understanding soil types helps farmers and gardeners to select the right crops for their soil, improve soil fertility, and manage water resources. By knowing what soil type you have, you’ll be able to condition your existing soil to make it easier to work with and select the right plants for your garden. Soil provides your plants with the vital nutrients, water and air they require for healthy growth and development. It allows you to adapt your growing techniques to the soil, add the correct soil amendments or fertiliser, and choose plants that are suited to your soil type.
Grow food…fast!
Want a fun, fast plot to plate project that you can complete quickly without the need for lots of space or resources? Click the link to get growing.
The Country Trust’s Food Discovery Programme Manager, Charlotte Repton explores the incredible power of gardening to boost children’s confidence and wellbeing and shares her top tips.
Need funds to get your garden project going or growing?
The Country Trust has created a handy webpage of funders who will support schools outdoor-based initiatives.
Head over to their website to take a look by CLICKING HERE
£475,000
£450,000
£450,000
£450,000
£450,000
£450,000
£125,000
£110,000
£80,000
£35,000
£320,000
£288,876