Northampton College students are getting their hands dirty in a new community gardening project designed to boost local biodiversity, develop practical skills and inspire the next generation to embrace sustainability.
The initiative, being explored in partnership with Daventry-based supplement company Viridian Nutrition and supported by charity Garden Organic, got underway with a visit to the college’s Daventry Campus by former Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins, who shared his passion for horticulture with Inclusion and Progression students.
Chris, Head of Organic Horticulture at Garden Organic, has enjoyed a varied career spanning the Royal Botanic Gardens and the iconic Blue Peter Garden. His fascinating talk took students on a journey from living alongside chimpanzees in Africa to creating tiny gardens in Japan and caring for the grounds of Westminster Abbey.
He then demonstrated how to create the perfect seed bed, with students getting hands-on experience by planting their own foxglove seeds. The session concluded with a creative challenge, encouraging students to design their dream gardens.
The visit is the first step towards a wider project exploring how students can design and build sustainable garden features, including bee stations, bug hotels and bird and bat boxes, helping to boost biodiversity and environmental awareness in the local community.
Chris Collins said: “Gardening is constantly teaching us lessons about working with nature. To properly notice and be in contact with the seasons is an absolute privilege and I love nothing better than walking down a street at this time of year and spotting the leaves on the trees changing colour.
“Connecting with the natural world gives me so much pleasure and coming to Northampton College is a great opportunity to demonstrate how gardening can support wellbeing, encourage creativity and open up opportunities in horticulture and the growing green economy.”
Jason Lancaster, principal of Northampton College, said: “Welcoming Chris to our Daventry campus is a chance for students to learn new skills and explore their creativity while developing a greater understanding of the natural environment. Working alongside inspiring professionals and local employers
such as Viridian Nutrition helps bring learning to life, and students can really build their confidence by contributing to projects that benefit the wider community.”
The college is exploring the partnership with Viridian Nutrition, supported by Garden Organic, to create hands-on learning opportunities that combine practical skills with environmental responsibility.
The project will help students understand how small actions can make a real difference to local biodiversity, while discovering the potential career opportunities that gardening can offer.
Clare London, HR director at Viridian Nutrition, said: "We're delighted to be involved in the community project, which marks the beginning of our partnership with Northampton College's Daventry campus and the Garden Organic charity as we support the development of students' gardening skills and look at ways to attract wildlife and insects into green spaces. As an ethical company, which focusses on using sustainability ingredients in our supplements, it's important to inspire young people and show the practical benefits of being outdoors, nature and growing organically from the ground up."
For more details about courses available at Northampton College, visit www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk.
