A plant family

Plant families is not an easy subject to teach children especially when more children are becoming less familiar with the natural world around them. They do not see so much flora and can most definitely not always name it...

'Alliums' are a fantastic resource for teaching the concept of a plant family. There is much excitement involved with planting a seed or a bulb and watching it grow into an edible or ornamental plant.


There are many child friendly alliums visible in the summer months most notably chives, spring onions, onions (red and white) shallots and garlic - and let's not forget wild garlic which have planted at Wicor.  The flowers can be prolific and demonstrate seed dispersal on an awesome scale particularly when allowing elephant garlic to run to seed.

Alliums allow a children to experience touch, taste, smell and can be quick to grow.  Harvesting can be rewarding and at Wicor there is nothing better for the children than to dig up an edible bulb in the allotment.

Tell me again about this Dracula guy...

 

Yum

A favourite recipe to make is garlic bread and each stage is completed by the children; the simplicity of mixing butter, crushing garlic, snipping home grown parsley and spreading spoonfuls into sliced crusty baguettes. I think the enjoyable part of the lesson for the children is the eating and inevitably someone always seems to raise the subject of vampires!

Louise Bryant