Midlothian schools cultivate wins in garden competition

St David’s Early Learning Centre scooped a win with its entry – ‘Dalkeith Produce and Railway’ - in the Nursery – P4 category and in the P5-S2 category St Andrew’s Primary in Gorebridge, won with its garden design titled ‘Our heritage mining garden’.

The entries had been submitted to Keep Scotland Beautiful’s annual Pocket Garden Design Competition.

Earlier this year, in partnership with Garden for Life Forum, nursery and school pupils, aged three to 18, were invited to design a miniature pocket-sized garden which included food for people, were good for wildlife and reused something.

​The winning designs will be turned into real mini gardens.

The competition aims to provide an ideal way to connect children and young people with food, nature and their heritage, while creating a focus for learning for sustainability.

More than 130 entries from 18 local authority areas were submitted, representing the work of whole classes and schools, all capturing fantastic imagination and creativity linked to the 2025 ‘Our Heritage’ theme.

The designers of the 32 winning entries have now been invited to build and grow their garden at school before filming or photographing it to be displayed as part of an online garden showcase in June where people will be able to vote for their favourite.

Eve Keepax, education and learning officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We’ve been running the Pocket Garden Design Competition for a decade, and were excited to introduce Our Heritage as a new theme this year to inspire pupils’ imaginations.

“The entries this year told moving stories of pupils’ connection to the intangible heritage of language, myth and music as much as their natural heritage and physical buildings of industry, and life long ago.

"The standard of design was even higher this year, yet still as full of creativity and humour. I’m already looking forward to seeing the designs transform into real mini gardens.”

Further details can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden . The online showcase will be open for visitors and voting from June 13 - 22.