IT was very heartening to see that youngsters at Eagley Infant School were being encouraged to grow their own food.

Anne Gunning, from the Royal Horticultural Society, visited the Bolton primary school when reception children took part in various activities including learning how to dig with trowels and how to prepare soil for planting.

They had the chance to sow seeds to grow peas and carrots and, probably the most important lesson of all, to make the connection between what they grow and what they eat.

This is particularly important these days because many children, especially where families seem to rely on takeaways, don’t understand about how Nature can provide meals for them.

Gardening can also give so much back. I’m a big fan of Vix Robinson’s regular Saturday column in the Bolton News and believe that the more accessible gardening is for everyone, the healthier we will all be. So it’s really good to see the principles being instilled in youngsters – and it looks such good, messy fun, too!