Garden music

By Tania Martin
EMERALD Primary School’s answers to Chopin can now entertain fellow classmates at playtime with the help of a new musical garden.
A 100-year-old piano has been given new life in the school’s newest garden project.
Teacher Leigh Johnston said his piano was beyond repair and thought it was a great way to live out the rest of its days.
“Students are making music with it in the environment – it’s great,” he said.
Mr Johnston said the garden was a place where students could perform, creating musical performances, playing the piano and even using a few wind chimes.
He said the rest of the garden design would be up to the kids.
“They are deciding what plants they will put in there over time,” Mr Johnston said.
“We are really interested in empowering kids’ learning – for them to think outside the box and see what they come up with.”
The musical garden is just the latest in the school’s repertoire, which also includes harvesting vegetables.
Mr Johnston said the school ultimately wanted to be able to join the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program, which promotes healthy eating from the garden to the kitchen.
It already has all the makings of the program from the garden to the cooking but needs the funding to officially get it started.
“We put in new garden beds last year and have harvested cabbages and broccoli and made soup out of them,” Mr Johnston said.
“It’s teaching our kids the importance of healthy eating.”
Mr Johnston said the gardens also pulled the community together, with everyone agreeing to keep an eye on the vegetable patch.
“The school is ripe for the picking to harvest this opportunity,” he said.