Meet the Gardeners
Spring is in full swing here in Dorset, and Careys Secret Garden is looking resplendent in the late March sunshine.
Our gardening team have been working tirelessly over the last 15 months to revive the once lost and forgotten walled garden back to its former glory.
There have been many challenges to overcome along the reinstatement journey of Careys, and, while the garden is still in its infancy, it has already transformed into an amazing space for all to enjoy. Resilience and creativity, tea and biscuits, have played a key part in this!
We interviewed head gardener Paul Scriven and Dan Smith (from Beeutiful Gardens), our gardening experts, to find out what their biggest challenges have been in restoring Careys Secret Garden, what they’ve enjoyed most about the project so far and what they’re looking forward to in the coming months.
What was it like when they first came into the walled garden to start the project?
After the mammoth task of clearing the area, Paul and Dan set about redesigning the space. The brief was simple; create a beautiful, sensory, food producing arena to be enjoyed and experienced by visitors, while providing the maximum benefit to the plethora of pollinators on the site.
The garden has been redesigned to incorporate a variety of different areas which complement each other in creating a wonderful space for the community to enjoy.
Paul describes just how the garden became compartmentalised, and what you can expect to see when you come to visit this Spring.
The Rose Garden, the Arid Garden, the Vegetable Garden, the Tea Garden, the Orchard and the Food Forest month by month are progressing and we can’t wait to give you a Sneak Peek view of these areas.
When you meet Paul and Dan you can instantly recognise their passion for what they do. Be sure to have a chat with them if you spot them working within the walls on your visit.
So what have Paul and Dan enjoyed most about the project so far?
For Paul, it’s all in the enjoyment of acquiring plants and seeds from quality sources; this has been a bit of a challenge in the current climate!
The gardeners have had to grow a lot of the plants from seed themselves due to the effects of Brexit on the stock levels from their usual suppliers. This is no ordinary garden, and the team are striving for the very best.
For Dan, the enjoyment is all in the design of the gardens. Being able to be part of such a huge project has been a dream come true. There have been several hurdles to overcome due to the scale of the site, but taking advantage of modern technology to facilitate this part of the process has been really helpful!
As the garden matures we’re going to be selling a combination of complimentary preserves, dried herbs and teas alongside nursery plants. We’re proud to be welcoming the ‘Secret Salt Pig’ in the former ‘Tatty Store’ of the walled garden to provide delicious refreshments for visitors coming to have a ‘sneak peak’ this Spring too.
Careys Secret Garden is a special, serene space for everyone to enjoy nature therefore we are limiting the number of daily visitors to give you the best experience and tickets must be pre-booked. For ticket sales and further information on Careys Secret Garden opening times and prices can be found here.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you.
