Parkes High School students building the herb gardens.
Gardening has been unofficially added to the curriculum at Parkes High School’s special education unit, where three new herb gardens mark the beginning of a 12-month edible garden project.
Students are working with the Bunnings store in Forbes to build the edible garden, which will include six raised garden beds for herbs and bush tucker, plus a mini orchard containing six different fruit trees.
Bunnings is donating the materials, plants, potting mix and the time of its team members to build the garden at the school.
The store is also donating a cantilever umbrella to provide shelter in the garden and native plants and paint to refresh the school’s yarning circle.
The first three herb gardens were built in late November, with five students rolling up their sleeves to help.
“Some of these boys had never assisted in the garden before, they’d normally rather be inside gaming,” said Bunnings Forbes Activity Organiser George Barnes.
“But they jumped at the opportunity to get their hands dirty and get involved in building the herb gardens.
“Seeing kids who don’t get outside very often get so much joy from this project is so rewarding.”
Mr Barnes said the partnership with Parkes High School, one of 120 community organisations Bunnings Forbes supports, started before Covid. Other projects it has supported at the school includes building a pride garden in June this year.
Parkes High School special education teacher Hugh Wood approached Mr Barnes about doing another garden this year and the pair decided on the edible garden. The edible garden will continue to take shape over much of the 2025 school year.