Garden and Grow Club were busy this week making stars and Christmas tree shapes from Willow (Salix alba). We used Willow as it is both flexible and adaptable. We spoke about the many uses that willow trees have. Traditionally, willows were used to relieve pain associated with a headache and toothache. The painkiller Aspirin is derived from salicin, a compound found in the bark of all Salix species. In medieval times, in many parts of Europe, the bark was chewed to release the salicin for pain relief.

During this Garden and Grow Club session, we used the flexible pieces of cut willow to make shapes and spoke about how sometimes we need to be flexible in life and adapt to different situations. We then hung the stars on the new Maple tree in the reflection garden. Some children took their stars and gifted them to their teachers. They will hopefully be able to keep them in their classroom to remind them about what they represent.

Merry Christmas from the Garden and Grow team!

P.s. We have some exciting news about the pond...