The exciting world of plants may be something of a mystery to many children, and the often-dry content of a curriculum taught indoors inhibits real understanding of many complex biological processes. Moving outdoors opens up an unexplored world and presents rich opportunities for imaginative learning. The "Life processes and living things" part of the National Curriculum for England can be taught in a creative way through cultivation of a small plot of land within the school grounds, to engender a love of the living world outdoors. In this article, the author discusses how a school garden can be used as a "research station" to help children carry out thought experiments on plants. (Contains 1 box and 1 online resource.)