Episode 5: “The Hedge”: A living fence is created.

The morning sun warmed the school garden as Maya and Mojo flew over the area at the edge of the garden. Children had gathered there and a pile of plants, branches and tools were laid out ready. A new part of the garden seemed to be emerging.

"Maya," said Mojo, "what do you think? Another flower meadow or maybe a tree house?"

Maya shook her head. "That looks like something else. Look - those are bushes! Maybe they're building a hedge."

The idea of ​​a living hedge

The teacher stepped in front of the children. "Today we are going to create a living hedge," she explained. "It will not only protect the garden, but also provide habitat for animals, food for people and mulch material for our beds."

“A hedge?” asked a boy. “Isn’t that just a fence made of plants?”

"No," the teacher corrected. "A hedge is much more than that. It protects against wind, provides shade, improves the microclimate and is a home for birds, insects and small animals."

"That sounds like a five-star hotel," Maya whispered. "For animals and plants."

Mojo nodded. "And much better than a fence that just stands there and looks boring."

The planning

The children gathered in the green classroom to plan their hedge. They drew their ideas on small, wipe-clean stone paper cards: hawthorn for birds, hazelnut for nuts, elderberry for flowers and berries.

"Every plant has a purpose," explained the teacher. "Hawthorn protects with its thorns, hazelnut gives us food, and elderberry offers protection and medicine."

"It's a brilliant combination," said Maya. "Look, Mojo, how they consider everything: food, protection, and even beauty."

"Yeah," Mojo agreed. "It sounds like they know what they're doing. That still surprises me."

Planting begins

With their plans in hand, the children went to the edge of the garden. They dug holes along a marked line and planted the shrubs. "We're planting them in two rows," explained one girl, "so the hedge will be thicker."

The children covered the roots with soil and placed a layer of mulch made of leaves and chopped branches on top. "The mulch retains moisture and gives the plants nutrients," said the teacher.

"Mulch again," Mojo muttered. "I'm starting to like this stuff."

Maya buzzed over the freshly planted bushes. "It's like they give the plants a little protective coat. Perfect!"


A Home for Animals

As soon as the hedge was planted, a robin landed on one of the young bushes. It hopped back and forth, pecking at the leaves and chirping happily. "See, Mojo?" Maya called. "The first animal is already here!"

"Hmm," grumbled Mojo, "it seems like the hedge has potential. Once it grows, there will be a lot of buzzing, chirping and crawling going on here."

The children also watched the robin. "This will be the best place for animals in the whole garden," said one boy proudly.

A living fence

At the end of the day, the children looked at their work. "In a few years, the hedge will be big and thick," said the teacher. "It will not only protect the garden, but will also be an ecosystem."

"That's exactly how permaculture works," said Maya. "Everything is connected - plants, animals and people."

"Well," Mojo admitted. "I'm impressed. It's more than just a hedge - it's a living fence that makes everything better."

The two bees buzzed over the newly planted hedge, ready for the next adventure in the school garden – and excited to see how this living fence would grow over time.

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