27 November, 2024

WBHS student gardeners help staff with planting

Team effort… Westlake Boys High School gardener Tony Buckingham and the teacher in charge of its gardening group, Daisy Huang.

A gardening group at Westlake Boys High School has been helping the school’s gardener in his efforts to beautify the grounds with pockets of nature.
Tony Buckingham, who started as the school gardener two years ago, has been planting in areas previously occupied by artificial turf or bare dirt.
This year, the 74-year-old has had the help of the school’s gardening group.
The group, which has around a dozen members, had been left looking for a new outlet after its vegetable patch had to make way for a new school building at the end of last year.
The teacher in charge of the group, head of Chinese Daisy Huang, said she was pleased the students involved had been able to find a new purpose.
Most recently, the young gardeners have been helping Buckingham plant out an area behind the auditorium.

Gardening group members Leo Fabricius (left), and Divit Shah

The mixture of natives and exotics were well-suited to an area which receives little sun, Buckingham said.
Natives are preferred for the planting, but care is taken that plants are suitable for the conditions in each of the different locations around the school.
Buckingham said he appreciated the help from the students, who were “enthusiastic” about the work.
He is a former student of the school, and previously held a variety of staff roles including sports administrator. He manages the first XI cricket side.

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