Mud Kitchen!

Gardens are really wonderful places – full of pretty flowers, scented herbs, all kinds of beds and borders of edible plants with colourful and shapely leaves.

Bright crocheted artwork, fanciful birdhouses, odd bits of sculpture and crazy driftwood trellises decorate the rooms in our wild Gardens. Raised beds interplanted with Vegetables, Flowers and Fruits divide the hillside into colourful terraces and it is such a unique place to explore.

Paths wander through the plantings carrying you from the hilltop Salad Garden through the Ash gates to the Artichoke beds. Driftwood steps meander down the hill passing the Strawberry beds and lead to the newly planted water gardens. Discovering the startling pink stems of a new Chard planting and plucking crisp snap-peas to eat on the spot or brushing your hands over fragrant Lavender and Mint are simple pleasures as you explore the food garden. We do love this place.

When you are small most Gardens tend to be “NO!” places. Parents are so conscientious and they try so hard to make sure their lovely little people are careful and that they are kind. This sometimes means that there is very little that is not pretty much off limits to small hands and feet. Not so fun.

We want to make a space for little people that says “YES!” – touch, pick, smell, taste, explore and be welcome.We want this place to be truly Welcoming to everyone, big and little. With this in mind, we are building a “Mud Kitchen” –  A multi-sensory natural Garden area made just right for little people. We have been collecting logs, driftwood, branches, benches, boulders and plants to create a miniature Eden that combines child-sized Garden plantings with a place to use natural materials to be creative.

We are still collecting materials for this playground and are always on the lookout for branches, stumps and logs. Some low wooden benches do also need to be built. So much to do but this ought to be Big Fun… Wish us luck!