Say Hello to Careys Secret Garden

Stumbling upon Careys Secret Garden was all at once magical and awesome. I have been trespassing here for years, living a short distance across the Piddle Valley. I snuck down with the family and crossed the rickety bridge that connected each side of the Piddle River, the rotted wooden slats wobbling and crumbling as I guided our then small children to safety. The bend in the river was where I went to contemplate the death of a friend, putting flowers gently into the running waters and watching them drift off in the current. A fallen tree, rotting from the inside became known as ‘Gastons Cave’ by my eldest daughter (4 at the time) when she named it after a cartoon character. This place became a regular family haunt for picnics and games.

So taking some form of stewardship for this special stretch of Dorset felt like a mystical honour and carried a certain weight of responsibility. My time living less than a mile away had been spent learning Permaculture and Regeneration in an effort to plan for sustainable livelihoods across the world, having worked in Peru, Ghana, Sumatra and more, but never quite getting a foothold in my own home patch of Dorset. On discovering the Walled Garden something seemed to click into place. Watching as the children squeezed themselves through the wooden slatted gates and into the rambling wildness of the dilapidated walls I was excited by the potential here.

At first it was almost unbelievable it existed at all, from a distance the walls were barely visible, swamped by overhanging laurel, swarming ivy and briar patches. The gates were padlocked shut and aside from the odd whirr of grasshoppers and buzzards calling overhead there was a deep stillness, early spring was creeping on our first official visit and the beautiful old oak towering above us had bright lime green leaves coming into bud. I was struck with a powerful sense of what this place could be, an amalgamation of my experiences across the globe coupled with the turmoil I was seeing unfold with the breakdown of the natural world reflected in social divisions. It felt like this quiet spot had a purpose, to be a small but meaningful step towards healing some of this.

Partnering with local gardeners and builders we set about designing how this space could sensitively be restored. Shoring up the crumbling archways, a new roof for what turned out to be the ‘Tatty Store’, an orchard, espaliers, greenhouses, veg beds, fruit cages and all of a sudden it feels like a new breath of life is being drawn in to this place. The sense of being able to take the best of the past - the craftsmanship of old, the nostalgic warmth of growing your own and providing for one another from the land - coupled with the modern need to unpick some of the less pleasant aspects and facing up to divisive political dynamics and climate breakdown, in a setting that isn’t about scaremongering but practical actions and a coming together. The best use of all our skills to create a real future with its feet on the ground and hands in the earth.

Now the walls of the Garden are visible from afar, like some kind of enigmatic oasis that has chosen to reveal itself. The opportunity for these walls to protect and warm the plants here can be echoed for the people too, can we use this space to foster one another, to enjoy and to grow amongst the flowers? Here you’ll be able to experience the best of the old world - courses in practical skills ranging from pruning and seed saving through to iron forging and foraging. In addition, learn about the rapidly changing world around us, how to adapt and to nest yourself in patterns of nature. World experts in everything from Bird Song to Climate Change will be available, all to a backdrop that weaves music, perfume, literature and more to create a cultural shift – a modern renaissance, a rebirth; a regeneration.