Author Archives: Bob

We’re super excited to be launching our new weekly Allotment Club sessions at Rowditch Allotments in Derby. The sessions are being run in partnership with Derbyshire Refugee Solidarity and Whiffle Pig CIC and are funded by Tesco Community Grants. Join us at the allotment each Friday for practical sessions, inspired by nature. Learn, explore andContinue reading “New allotment club for refugees in Derby”

In the first in a series of articles about the people who inspire me, I spoke to psychiatrist, psychotherapist and Author Sue Stuart-Smith about her book The Well Gardened Mind and some of her thoughts on life after lockdown. I became aware of The Well Gardened Mind in May last year when my father presentedContinue reading “The Well Gardened Mind – an interview with Sue Stuart-Smith”

I love reusing and recycling materials to create wellbeing gardens with my clients. There’s something really rewarding about rescuing something that would have been thrown away and turning it into something amazing. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be showing you how to make some beautiful things for your own gardens, starting with this luxuryContinue reading “Build your own bug hotel for National Gardening Week”

Chris and I had another fantastic session on the weekend. We built raised beds for his wellbeing garden and checked in on the sunflowers we sowed on my previous visit. As well as continuing to improve his woodworking skills, Chris feels happy and confident. It encourages him to take ownership of a growing project fromContinue reading “Building raised beds”

Yesterday’s Garden to Wellbeing session proved that just an hour outside doing a simple activity can bring smiles all round. Despite the cold (you can feel that snow is on its way), Chris was able to sow some sunflower seeds for his wellbeing garden which he planned out last year. Sowing seeds is more thanContinue reading “Why gardening is good for the soul”

It all begins with some blooming good ideas! For many of us the rapidly changing pandemic landscape has unsurprisingly led to increased anxiety. Daily routines can change at very short notice as the Government introduces new restrictions with no timescales for things getting back to normal. For Chris, and other people living with autism, theseContinue reading “How can therapeutic gardening help during the pandemic?”

We love reusing wood to create new growing containers so when Chris chose to build a planter for this Garden to Wellbeing activity session we were delighted. Handmade from reclaimed pallets, Chris measured, sanded and hammered his way to producing this beautiful oak planter and he’s proud as punch. Building the planter enabled Chris toContinue reading “Perfect pallet planter”

A new luxury hotel with ‘all the creature comforts’ has opened up to quite a fanfare. The three story Travel Bug Lodge includes a penthouse suite and pine cone, stick and sunflower themed rooms. Constructed from dismantled pallet boxes, natural materials and a creative vision, several spiders have already been seen moving in. Garden toContinue reading “New bug hotel opens to guests”

I’d like to introduce you to our new Garden to Wellbeing Champion, Chris. 23 year old Chris loves the outdoors and spends as much time as he can in and around nature. As someone who lives with autism he finds some settings overwhelming, so gardens provide a quiet, restorative space where he can relax andContinue reading “Meet our new Garden to Wellbeing Champion”