Planting took place this autumn in the school playgrounds of De Achtbaan and De Spits primary schools in Utrecht. It wasn’t done by a gardener, but by the pupils themselves. They used Sneeboer garden tools. These initiatives form part of GreenBee Outdoor, a project run by the GreenBee Foundation that introduces children to plants and a green living environment.
From tiles to a border
The playground at De Achtbaan is still largely paved with tiles. The school is working on plans to change this, and the Year 6 pupils are taking the first step. Frank Timmerman from the GreenBee Foundation first taught them about garden plants. They then set to work themselves and planted a border featuring, amongst other things, pansies, Skimmia, Helleborus, heather, mountain tea and small conifers.
They were assisted in this by Wilco Boender and Jan Jacobsen from VDBH West in Stolwijk, a company specialising in the creation and maintenance of green spaces. There is a memorial tree on the square in memory of a pupil who has passed away. That tree will remain in place and will be surrounded by new planting.
It was raining that day. The children carried on working as usual, and the plants didn’t need any extra water afterwards.
Why in the autumn?
Planting is deliberately carried out in autumn. The soil is still relatively warm at this time of year, and there is usually more rain than in spring and summer. This allows plants to establish strong roots before winter and to continue growing rapidly in the spring. If you plant now, you’ll see the results in April. You can read more about what to do in the garden at this time of year in our autumn gardening tips.
What green spaces do for children
Research also shows that green spaces at school make a difference. A 2025 study by Hasselt University and Maastricht University involving children aged 7 to 12 showed that they are able to concentrate better in a green environment. Previous research by, amongst others, VU University Amsterdam and the University of Groningen found that children find a green school playground appealing and that it can contribute to their social wellbeing.
Do it yourself
What makes these activities worthwhile is that the children do the work themselves. Digging a planting hole, loosening a root ball, pressing down the soil. You only learn that by doing it. And for that, you need tools that fit comfortably in your hand and cut easily through the soil. With the right tools, gardening feels just as it should.
That is why Sneeboer made the tools for these activities available. This is in line with what we believe is important: getting more children into the garden, with the right tools. A hand-forged shovel will last for years and can be passed on. The tools a child uses to learn how to plant today can still be used in the same garden twenty years from now.
A little patch of garden of your own
The school gardens in Utrecht form part of a pilot scheme for a nationwide GreenBee Outdoor project. The idea is that pupils adopt their own patch of garden and take responsibility for it themselves. In this way, they not only learn about plants and biodiversity, but also what it means to look after green spaces, throughout the seasons and year after year.
Several schools are already scheduled for this autumn and next spring. Each pupil will also take home a garden plant and a booklet about autumn plants, so that they can continue gardening at home.
Tools for life and for generations to come.