Owing to the scarcity of land, schools in the urban district of Hong Kong are mostly sited in areas densely packed with buildings. Some are even located in multi-storeyed buildings. As schools only occupy a small area, it is difficult to allocate space for setting up landscape features. Hence, what you see in schools of urban district are mostly decorative features made of concrete and other artefacts. Living flowers and trees are rarely seen. From the greening point of view, this is a very unhealthy phenomenon which greatly calls for improvement.

Compared to the whole city, schools are small in areas and are unable to accommodate a large number of trees. However, we can create an environment full of vitality by using small plants. The extensive planting of trees and flowers in schools will directly benefit the schools as well as the teachers and students in many aspects. The salient points are briefly described below:


Improving and beautifying the school environment

Plants come in a great variety of types and forms. Their shape, foliage, colours and flowers constitute graceful forms and shapes for our pleasant visual and spiritual experiences. Plants can effectively soften and set off structures, and cover up unsightly scenes. Some species shed leaves and grow new shoots, produce flowers and bear fruit throughout the year, bringing different seasonal charms to the school compuses. They are often the source of new discoveries and amazing surprises for teachers and students.


Cultivating the greening consciousness

We must strive to cultivate the greening consciousness of the public in order to effectively implement the concept of greening the environment . In the modern world, a person's learning time is mostly spent in schools during his adolescence. If schools are grown intensively with plants, students can get in touch with the nature since their childhood and develop their interest in plants. In this way, their greening consciousness will be cultivated gradually. With the encouragement and guidance of teachers, the results produced will be even more obvious.

Providing ready-made teaching materials

"Nature Study" is a prescribed school subject. If schools are grown with various types of plants, teachers can teach this subject in schools at any time by making use of real plants to assist their explanation, thereby arousing and enhancing students' interest in study.