2022.    An exceptional Year

  This year saw the tenth anniversary of our official opening by Sir Terry Wogan and it was an opportunity to look back and realise quite how much has been achieved. There are the toolshed, the greenhouse, the pumped irrigation system, the fruit cage, the Education Centre, the cold frames, the massive new gates, the restored walls, the polytunnels and the Sensory Garden. More important still are the huge benefits of working and training in the Garden and enjoying the safety and warm welcome from which so many children and adults with disabilities of all kinds have gained so much. 

   The year started with heavy rainfall making outside tasks difficult and the soil unworkable. We were mostly in our greenhouse and polytunnels.  In February the weather became almost summery with ridiculous temperatures and we took advantage to plant some traditional varieties of espalier apples, from the wonderful Bernwodes Nursery, round the Sensory Garden. We look forward to sampling such wonders as Little Emily, Cat Apple, Ball’s Pippin and Bucks Sheepsnose.

   By April seed sowing was well underway and we began planting out our potatoes, onions and beans. A horrid and unsightly issue was “box blight” which spread in the border hedges. By May, with the help of a small mechanical digger the diseased box was dug out thus saving our volunteers many hours and sore backs.

  In May we reopened with a tomato plant sales day and from then on held weekly Wednesday fruit, flowers, plant and vegetable sales. The opportunity to buy fresh produce literally straight from the ground, and to look round the Garden and see how we are getting on, is one more and more local people are enjoying.

   But from then on gardening got very tough with a lasting drought and a hosepipe ban which meant watering an acre by hand for as long as we still had some stored grey water. On 16^th July we had our 10^th anniversary celebration which introduced many new visitors. In fact more turned up than expected and all seemed delighted. Rev Rob Pestell gave us a blessing which included many clever garden references and one of our local Councillors, Zahir Mohammed, spoke glowingly of the work being done for the disadvantaged and deftly  planted a commemorative rose.

   In October a major project started to replace the vinehouse and, while keeping the existing ancient vines, turn it into the covered teaching space we have so badly needed in the winter months. That is due for completion in the spring and the necessary excavations have uncovered old drainage pipes and two huge Victorian underground cisterns which we plan to refurbish and use to double our irrigation capacity.

   On the Education side we have been joined again by pupils from Stony Dean, Pebble Brook and Chiltern Woods schools ( for children with special needs ). “Talkback”, a local charity supporting adults with a range of disabilities also returned and we provide them with training and work experience – and fresh air and exercise in a safe environment. All are very very welcome and we hope they will continue to blossom with us.

   We continue to supply fruit, herbs and vegetables for St Katharine’s retreat house alongside, and our weekly Wednesday sales for locals have boomed with all the surplus produce going each week to the “One Can Trust” food bank in Wycombe. Our stall at the Frieth fete was again a great success and our entries in the village flower and produce show carried off nine Firsts, five Seconds and seven Thirds. We also made wreaths and hanging baskets and volunteers turned our produce into some amazing jams, jellies and preserves which we sold not least at the Red Kites High Wycombe Christmas market. By the end of the year sales had topped £5,000 an amazing result which means we can invest in more Garden improvements.

   Covid meant there were fewer opportunities to visit local clubs and societies to give talks but the word seems to have spread nevertheless and we managed to come third in a county wide “Charity of the Year” competition at a reception organised by “Heart of Bucks”.

   Lastly a word about our volunteers, the backbone of the Garden. There are about 16 regulars at the moment with some giving a couple of hours a week and some as much as two days. Several new members joined in the year and more are always very welcome. A bit of gardening experience helps as does willingness to work with the SEN children – but do just come along and try it. There is universal agreement that the tea breaks are the best ever and it’s a very happy team!