Sedlescombe Primary School sensory garden wins two top national design awards

Kristina Clode received the awards for both the Design for the Environment and Judge’s awards by the Society of Garden Designers in an annual event which highlights the very best in horticultural design and innovation across the UK.

At a ceremony at London’s Landmark hotel on October 15, the sensory garden was described by head judge Richard Sneesby as ‘extraordinary’. He said: “It’s generous, beautiful, stimulating, creative, all the things that you want a garden to be, and it possibly sets a new high bar for school grounds in the future.”

The sensory garden was designed by Kristina on a shoestring budget of £5,000 in 2017 and built with the help of parents, staff and the children themselves, who all participated by planting a plant and laying stones to mark out the pathways.

Mum-of-two Kristina, from Brede, said she was ‘thrilled’ her garden had received recognition for both its design and as a precedent to encourage more school gardens to be properly funded and built.

“This was a really special project to me as both of my children have been at school here; they were involved in building the garden alongside me, as were all the children at the school and many of their parents and teachers – it was a true community effort.

“I’m very proud of the garden. It took a lot of effort to make it a reality, but we created a piece of magic for the children, teachers and wildlife to enjoy every day.”

Opened in January 2018 by head gardener at Great Dixter Fergus Garrett, the tranquil garden sits in contrast to the bustling playground beyond, a place for the children and their teachers to be immersed in colourful plants of different heights, textures and scents. The sustainable, low-maintenance design also helps children learn about the environment and develop an interest and love for horticulture.

Mr Sneesby said: Not only does this illustrate what can be done with a tiny budget and the generosity of people’s time, most importantly it’s really good design,’ he said.

‘This kind of project we hope is a precedent.”

School head Caroline Harvey added: “The children, staff and parents absolutely love our amazing sensory garden that not only looks stunning all year round, but also provides a haven for our children that supports their learning, play and mental and spiritual well-being.

“I am thankful to everyone who gave their time, skills and commitment to bringing Kristina’s design to life. We feel very lucky.”

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