It may be quite daunting to put together a proposal for an award, especially something as prestigious as the Rolls-Royce Science Prize! But this is exactly what the author did as soon as she was appointed head of juniors at La Sagesse School in Newcastle upon Tyne. After a consultation with staff, governors, the school council and the parent-teacher association (PTA), the author found that there is a need to develop both children's scientific enquiry and creative thinking skills in order to increase their enthusiasm for science and their uptake of science subjects at secondary school. To provide multiple learning environments, a science-focused curriculum in which the key development would be the construction of a Roman apothecary garden for key stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) was designed. (For the 4- to 7-year-olds science was linked to traditional tales and a fairytale willow village.) In this article, the author shares how her school became Rolls-Royce Science Prize finalists. (Contains 3 figures and 4 online resources.)