Science 

Horticulture

On Friday the 6 October, the Year 10 Horticulture class went into the City of Melbourne for a day at the Royal Botanical Gardens. We met our tour guide and then were told what our tour would look like and what activities we would do. 

Our tour guide walked us through interactive gardens for kids, and the garden they had for herbs and vegetables. We then went to the herbarium and learnt about who worked in there and what they did. There were many facts around the building about native plants and some of the horticulturists. The tour guide informed us on what tree corks used to be made from and what they are made of now.

We were then shown the only tree that was allowed to be climbed - this tree had fallen and been cut into an obstacle course for kids. We then got to see volunteers setting up for a big plant sale that they will be having soon. We talked about what the volunteers did and how they helped the gardens. After this we went back into the veggie garden and got to choose a task to do. We could choose from: making herb bouquets, watering the garden with fertilizer from the worm farm, finding snails and putting them into the compost, and turning the compost. I got to go around the garden picking lavender, oregano, pineapple sage, and rosemary and make them into a small bouquet for everyone. 

Then we got to walk to the kids pond and plant seedlings into small pots to take home. After that we got to walk around the gardens and do botanical drawings. 

Ayla Richardson

On Friday 6 October, our Year 10 Horticulture class participated in an excursion to the Royal Botanical Gardens. During our excursion we had a tour of the gardens, on which we were shown several types of trees and plants, a children’s area, a small veggie garden, and a herbarium. We were also told about the wide range of jobs at the botanical gardens. My classmates and I are grateful for an excursion we all enjoyed, and now have a better idea of the role of a horticulturalist in the working world!

Savannah Ferguson

Ms Katherine Shirer

Science Teacher