Their extensive kitchen garden was this week given a boost with the delivery of a $4000 greenhouse they won in a recent national competition.

Pupils produced a video showing the school garden and why they needed a greenhouse to thrive, and were thrilled to win the big prize.

Amid much excitement, it arrived on the back of a truck and was dropped in to place amid the herbs, vegetables and fruit trees.

Pupils spend time each fortnight tending the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden with produce used for cooking in the school’s kitchen.

“We get to grow more stuff for the kitchen to provide for everyone,” said Toby, 12.

“The greenhouse will let us grow stuff in there in winter without it dying from frost,” said Isabelle, 10.

Toby said the greenhouse would allow them to grow produce year round.

“It was costing us  money because we had to buy some of the stuff for the kitchen because it was dying, but now we will be able to put it in and it will survive and we won’t have to spend as much money,” he said.

Garden specialist Wendy Ruddick said the program worked with the mantra grow, harvest, prepare, share.

“Having a Sproutwell greenhouse, especially in Ballarat, means we can grow all our own seedlings and every child can have something growing,” she said.

“It also means they can come in to the greenhouse and work if it’s raining,” she said.

Delacombe Primary has run a school garden for more than a decade, and been involved in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program for about eight years.

Ms Ruddick said many children had started their own vegetable gardens at home and, most importantly, were now eating all their vegetables.