Schools Urged To Encourage Gardening

The Headmistress of Wesley Girls Senior High School (SHS), Betty Dzokoto, has urged educational institutions to make gardening and flowering a key element of their extra curriculum activities to create awareness of the benefits of the horticulture and floriculture industry.

The headmistress of the renowned senior high school disclosed this while speaking at the awards and closing ceremony of the Ghana Garden and Flower Show held at the Efua Sutherland Children's Park in Accra.

Mrs. Dzokoto said, “In recent past, most schools had farms which were part of students' activities in schools, and they spent time on these farms growing vegetables which in some cases were used to prepare meals for them. It appears that is not the case anymore.”

“There is a lot to gain from this. It provides healthy outdoor activities for students and brings balance to the intense academic activities that take place in the confines of the classroom,” she noted.

She therefore urged all educational institutions at all levels to take the issue of gardens and flowers seriously.

“I appeal to heads of schools to help drive the message home to help make it possible,” she said.

“Working on the school farms and the garden is very beneficial to the students, the practical lessons learnt on the school farms prepare students for many diverse tasks in life.

“Gardening contributes to developing well-balanced individual, guiding, nourishing and educating the whole being, hands, heart and mind. It encourages students to be concerned about the environment while reaping the enormous health benefits of healthy food. It purifies the air and prevents the students from contracting air-borne diseases,” she averred.

Awards
The award winners for the 2017 Ghana Garden and Flower Show were Labadi Beach Hotel (Best Hotel Garden), the Signature (Best Hospitality Facility Garden), Akai House Clinic (Best Medical Facility Garden) and Vesta Odoi, (Best Private Garden).

The rest were St. Alps (Best Herbs and Spices Garden), Interplast (Best Factory Garden) and “Green It Is” which tied with Souvenirs GH for Best Exhibitor Booths.

Certificates of commendation were also presented to key stakeholders of the show and loyal exhibitors.

By Abigail Owiredu-Boateng