Helmsley Walled Garden: Community days for the whole family

Helmsley Walled Garden kicks off its first Community Day on June 10th. Further events are planned in the coming months.

The aim is to bring people together to enjoy time outdoors, say the organizers.

The first event is a free introductory course in willow weaving, but there is a fee to enter the garden to attend.

Students will learn to weave a garden ornament to take home for further decoration.

Picnics can be held in the garden and the Vine House Café also provides pre-bookable lunch boxes for visitors to enjoy on the lawn.

Learn the art of willow weaving at Helmsley Walled Garden

In the afternoon there is a bouquet-picking activity especially for children, where they use a map to find a bouquet, learn about it and pick it to take home.

A spokesman for the garden said: “We encourage our visitors to take time during their visit, to pause, enjoy the often tremendous birdsong and enjoy all that the garden has to offer, and hopefully return home with a renewed sense of well-being to go.”

They added: “Getting out in nature has never been more important and there are numerous studies showing that being outdoors can have a tremendous impact on our mental well-being. That’s the core of what.” Helmsley Walled Garden is all about.

Other planned events include:

• 4th July: Learn to Weave a Bird Feeder, £20 per person per course – allows entry to the garden.

• August 26: Second Community Day – “Get Out Into Nature”. Craft workshops, nature trails, propagation and composting lectures, flower arranging and more. A fun family outing. Concession entry is £7 and children under 16 are free.

• October 14: Third Community Day – Learn to weave an obelisk. Intensive course 2.5 hours. £50 per person per course – Allows entry to the garden and sale of plants and cakes at the end of the season. Concessions £7 and under 16s free.

From the outset, Helmsley Walled Garden was designed with community involvement in mind.

Alison Ticehurst, who was responsible for beginning the restoration of the garden, which is fully tended by a team of more than 100 volunteers, recognized the importance of community and the gardens as a sanctuary.

A spokesman said: “The first thing that strikes you when you enter the garden is the peace and tranquility it brings to both visitors and gardeners.”

“Topped by Helmsley Castle to the east and Duncombe Park to the west, these interact with the ancient walls of the garden to give those within its confines a sense of safety and security.”

Visit www.helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk for more information