We started a community garden on a long strip of land at our horse premises. We began by using up a huge pile of rotted horse manure to grow vegetables, herbs and flowers to feed our team of volunteers and guests on our NHS courses.
Two year funding from the National Lottery Awards for All and Teignbridge Lottery for Communities, helped us set up a Polytunnel where tomatoes, chilli and cucumbers flourished. We grew a variety of vegetables in our first year. With the support of medical herbalist Laura Evans, we diversified by creating a series of pollinator attracting herb beds, and plants specifically to support well-being and offer an experience of delight for our visitors.
Our garden has become a place of sanctuary and solace for our team who all have lived experience of mental health distress and suicidal despair. We work together and we support each other. People work at their own pace and take time to observe the birds and wildlife in our beautiful South Devon field. We garden to connect with the land, with the plants and with each other. As one of our volunteers said. ‘In gardening, I see how I am sowing seeds for a new happier and healthier future.’ Like the plants we care for, in the simple act of gardening we are growing ourselves.
Here are some comments from participants in their own words:
I’ve felt generosity here.
No matter how I am feeling, as soon as I hear everyone’s laughter, I feel lighter in myself.
Everyone goes off when we have our little breaks, and everyone talks to everyone else, and the openness and honesty just carries on.
I feel a lot, lot better than what I did when I arrived this morning, and it’s thanks to everybody here, the openness and the acceptance of who you are, not what you should be. And I think that’s very special.
Strong sense I get of acceptance from this group. You just come here, you haven’t got to perform.
I can just be me. It’s so nice because I find it quite draining sometimes, trying to be someone I’m not, putting that smile on, but I put a real smile on here.
I felt a little bit sad this morning, and now I feel really like at peace.
