Tina Vaughan: Gardening at Furzey Gardens for six years

Tina Vaughan has volunteered at Furzey Gardens for the past six years. Find out more about her experience from her point of view.

I attended the Lyndhurst Volunteer Fair in January 2016 and signed up to Minstead Trust as I love gardening. There was a space at Furzey Nursery on a Fridays so I leapt at the chance to try it.

I had never been to Furzey Gardens before, having just moved to the area after my mum died but I fell in love with the peace and tranquillity straight away. My nature loving, kind mum would have loved it and approved greatly at my choice. The people we support and staff make volunteering here on a Friday so inspiring and enjoyable. We can work hard, but we smile too, even on the coldest wettest winter day – although the sunny summer days are more preferable! Often we can be heard singing in the greenhouse to the radio, even if it’s raining outside.

I love the ethos of re-using everything we can in the nursery; using peat free compost, no chemicals and encouraging bees and butterflies by the choice of plants that have been chosen. It is a wonderful place to be a volunteer, great for my mental health, and makes me happy to know that I can help and support others at the same time.

If you’d like to find out more about our volunteering opportunities, visit our volunteering page.