John Prentice, HBHS Master Gardener
Everyone seeing the HBHS school grounds at the moment is likely to be struck by the profusion of new spring growth. The gardens are looking particularly lush at the moment, and it is clear that the efforts of John Prentice, our fulltime school gardener, are paying off for everyone as we enjoy a fragrant, visually arresting outdoor environment. There is a unifying structure to the plantings, and the boys are careful while they are on the grounds not to damage the low-lying sections. This (thanks to John’s efforts) is because so many of them are involved in the garden’s development…
Interview with Mr Prentice
How long have you been working at Hamilton Boys’ High School?
On and off for eleven years. I have been full-time since my hip replacement, and have been able to do a great deal with the gardens, working in with the boys over recent years.
You’ve had a really interesting career; can you tell us a little about it?
Well, I struggled through school, then struggled through university, and ended up teaching for 17 years; Science, Maths and specialising in Biology. Then I went farming for about 17 years, sold up and semi-retired to Hamilton. Then I found myself gravitating to HBHS.
When did gardening become a speciality for you?
It’s been a passion of mine ever since I was a young boy. I was encouraged by my parents and grandparents to dig and do things in the garden. That went on, and I suppose it dictated what I studied at university: Botany. Farming was a continuation of this, and when I got to Boys’ High it seemed to pull everything together: teaching, farming, plants - the works.
Can you explain to us a little bit about the system you are applying to the gardens here?
What I am trying to do here is to get the gardens to fit the architecture. We’re not aiming to compete – instead the gardens and buildings should compliment each other. In other words, I’ve tried to keep a number of straight lines, stayed away from curves and circles because the school is very angular. I think it’s starting to come together.
You’ve also got to be a bit of an expert on psychology too, given the way that these spaces are used…
Yes – I’m always aware that you’ve got two and a half thousand people here at any one time, many of them moving around a bit hap-hazardly at any given moment. I find that in the time that I’ve been here, we’ve gained more and more respect for plants, and what people (adults and students) have actually been working on in the gardens.
Often what you’re doing is complimented by the Horticulture projects isn’t it?
Yes – a lot of what I’ve done, I could never have done on my own. Working with Gavin Bennett and Stephen Godsiff and the Horticulture classes has not only benefited them, but also the school. That aspect of teaching I suppose is definitely there in this role.
Can you give us an example of a team effort that has worked particularly well?
Just about all of the major planting in the last five years, whether it be annuals (which need to be done twice a year) and the planting of trees, and the rose beds in particular, they’ve all been an effort by the boys. Of course it carries on with roses; the maintenance of them is the boys’ task as well.
Do you have any favourite developments?
I like the idea of getting this nice structured look about the school, so that when I drive past I can say ‘we’ve done the right thing’. We’re complimenting the structures, with the added factor that the boys have done it.
I’d like to acknowledge the encouragement of Susan Hassall, the Headmaster, and many of the staff who make a point of commenting on the way that the gardens look. And also the way that the boys in general respect and take an active interest in what we’ve been doing. It’s a team effort.