Careys Secret Garden is delighted to announce its remarkable success at the Dorset Tourism Awards, where it was honoured with the Ethical, Responsible, and Sustainable Award, the prestigious Winner of Winners accolade, and the Silver Award for Best Small Attraction.

This achievement follows Carey’s previous recognition as Best New Tourism Attraction after opening its gates in 2021. Since then, the three-and-a-half-acre hidden gem, located just outside Wareham in Dorset, has continued to flourish. In 2023, a significant partnership with Birds of Poole Harbour—this year’s winner of Experience of the Year—brought nature-sensitive Osprey tours to Carey’s, supporting the successful breeding of the only nesting pair of ospreys in the South of England.

Sustainability lies at the heart of Careys Secret Garden. The venue regularly hosts courses, workshops, and events promoting both environmental and social causes. In January, Carey held the Bye Bye Bibby event, raising £2,000 in support of the men who spent time on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland Port who visited Carey’s to reconnect with nature during their stay. The event featured talks from them, as well as contributions from artists such as Cold War Steve and Edmund Hall, alongside a preview of the powerful photographic series Bibby Boys by Thomas Ralph and Theo McInnes.

Visitors can also explore seven full-sized pieces of the Berlin Wall, which form a thought-provoking exhibit just a short walk from the gardens.

Carey’s is proud to collaborate with local organisations such as Employ My Ability, which sends students to develop their skills on-site. One former student is now a regular employee at Carey’s, while another has become one of the many passionate volunteers who contribute to the garden’s upkeep and projects.

The garden is also home to an ever-growing collection of salvias and aromatic plants, reflecting the passion for fragrance shared by Simon Constantine (Garden Finder and Director), Paul Scriven (Head Gardener), and Dan Smith (Head Designer). The gardens also boast an Arid garden, no-dig vegetable patch with outdoor kitchen and a Food forest of abundant fruit trees and plants.

“We are thrilled to receive these awards from Dorset Tourism and to be recognised for the great work our team does here,” said Simon Constantine. “We aim to make Careys Secret Garden a welcoming space for all. Nature is for everyone, and we are in the business of good news—both for the environment and for people. We want Carey to inspire positive change, and these awards really mean a lot to us and tell us that we are headed in the right direction.”

Looking ahead, Carey’s Secret Garden will be hosting a Migration Festival from February 14th to 16th, celebrating the movements of people and wildlife, and both local and global conservation projects. The garden will then reopen to the public from Wednesday to Saturday each week.

To preserve the delicate balance of wildlife on-site, visitors are required to book in advance via the website: www.careyssecretgarden.co.uk