21 April 2026
A team of supported gardeners with learning disabilities create a beautiful border at Gardeners’ World Spring Fair 1-3 May.
Working together throughout the project, the team have used many different skills such as researching local folk tales and planting schemes, story-telling and garden design to plan the garden which fits this years ‘Once Upon A Time’ theme.
Their first task was to select a story for the garden to represent. Wanting to base the garden around something that they know and love, the gardeners chose to create their own story. The result is a unique folk tale that reimagines how Furzey Gardens came to be. Called ‘A Garden of Many Hands’, it tells of a garden created, lost and renewed through community and shared care.
Artist impression of the garden by Brad Lee and Rhianne and Matt in front of the practice border.
The beautiful border, ‘A Garden of Many Hands’, has a spring woodland theme where planting will focus on a harmonious palette of blues, purples and whites with the occasional bright accents to highlight moments of hope and renewal. It will include plants and specific cultivars for which Furzey Gardens is well known, reflecting its distinctive character and horticultural heritage.
A handcrafted and thatched fairy house made by people with learning disabilities will take centre stage in the garden, with characterful additions such as felted mushrooms and the Oakborn people made in the workshops at Minstead Trust.
Dave with his favourite plant and Simon working on the fairy house
Before the build, the team were excited to get going, Matt who was looking forward to building the garden said, ‘I will use all my energy carrying plants.’
Rhianne described the garden as ‘What Furzey looks like and we will make it pretty for Beaulieu.’
The BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair is a fantastic opportunity for the people supported by Minstead Trust to show their skills and create a beautiful space for us all to enjoy. Tom tells us, ‘It is a good experience for everyone who doesn’t get to be involved in something like this. It will be a little square of Furzey transported to Beaulieu.’
Opportunities like this bring an enormous sense of achievement and pride to everyone involved and shows just want can be achieved by people with learning disabilities when they are given opportunities and support.
Find out more about support and opportunities for people with learning disabilities at Minstead Trust.