Together We Grow

Care In the Garden is a nursery with a difference. Not only can you find all the usual lovely plants, gifts and a welcome cuppa here, but so much more besides. Sara Whatley finds out more

Fifteen years ago, John Goodenough and his partner Gill Smith were both feeling disgruntled with their jobs. Friends kept saying to them ‘why don’t you pool your skills and start something together’, so that is exactly what they did. 

Care in the Garden was born in 2012 out of their social care and horticultural skills, and started with a grey transit van, three lads with additional needs and some garden maintenance work. By the end of the first year they needed their own premises and found an empty nursery. “All businesses need commitment and enthusiasm, and a lot of luck as well,” said John when I spoke to him one sunny morning recently. “We were extremely lucky with our landlady, who gave us the nursery rent free for the first three years. We are forever beholden to her.” 

The passion behind Care in the Garden is a deep-seated belief heldby both John and Gill that everybody deserves the right to be involved in the working world. “Work is a fundamental part of life,” said John. 

There are myriad benefits to working: the social aspects, independence, the satisfaction of doing a good day’s work and making a difference to the lives of others. Working provides a reason to get out and about, it promotes a physically and mentally active lifestyle, and gives you agency over your own life. As it says on their website, ‘Our vision is to reach out to the community and to bring down barriers by developing equality through understanding.’ 

From that beginning Care in the Garden grew. A grant consolidated their enthusiasm and gradually the plant nursery became established. Then as more and more people joined their company, different enterprises emerged. They now have 18 paid staff who support 60 men and women with additional needs. “We have to be a viable social enterprise,” explained John. 

He told me how their staff have adapted and grown into a ‘different breed of employee. A carpenter, for example, soon learns all the skills needed to support someone with additional needs, or someone who has previously worked in the social care sector will  pick up horticulture skills while working at Care in the Garden. These are the unique Work Buddies who work so closely with the Supported Workers – they understand their every need. 

When I spoke to John, they had just had their Plug Plant Weekend, and he said The Plant Market was so busy they broke their attendance record! At the nursery you will find a wide variety of plants – house plants have their own section with attractive displays of flowers and foliage, and there are plenty of garden plants including bedding plants,perennials, shrubs and trees. You can even bring in your empty pots and baskets and they will plant them up for you. 

Splinter Wood Products is one of their successful enterprises, where a Carpenter Supervisor and three Carpenter Work Buddies support eight Supported Workers in the woodwork area. John was very enthusiastic about their products. “They are continually pushing the boundaries of the range of products and producing innovative designs,” he said. “The finish of their craft is very high quality, and we constantly get compliments about their products.” 

The Mower Men have been going for a long time. They have a range of contracts with various local councils to cut the grass and keep everything looking tidy, but also to maintain beautiful street planting and hanging baskets. “We are very supported by many local councils, but we do a great job!” said John. 

Back when they also had other garden contracts, John recalled when they were mowing the lawn of a lovely lady, and a very keen chap was on the mower. “He was passionate and energised,” said John. So much so that despite John holding onto the mower and saying, ‘Stop!’ to the chap, he happily continued through the flower bed and into the fence. Then he turned and said, ‘Whoops!’ to John. “Thankfully the lady simply smiled and we fixed everything quickly,” laughed John. “We have many humorous times here. That chap is 60 now and still working with us – I didn’t fire him!” 

The Tool Shed is another popular enterprise, where old tools are refurbished and sold. “They always have lots of visitors in the Tool Shed,” John said proudly. The people who work there have a wide range of additional needs, such as dementia or mental health needs, and are supported by Work Buddies. 

Social and Therapeutic Horticulture is a well-established practice to help many different people with diverse needs. The benefits come from three active practices: time spent in nature; time being occupied and active; and time in a positive social environment. It seems that what John and Gill have recognised, in particular is the second point, which they have expanded to; ‘time being occupied and active in a fulfilling working environment’. “We work with these guys with a different approach,” said John. “They have the fulfilment of a good day’s work and are also developing their skills in a variety of ways.” 

The Work Buddies Scheme that Care in the Garden run is further providing the opportunity for people with additional needs to work. “We support a local lady with additional needs to work at The Garlic Farm. We pay her Work Buddy, and The Garlic Farm pay her,” explained John. 

Some of the people that work at Care in the Garden are real entrepreneurs. There is one lady with her own jewellery business, who is possibly looking to expand her venture, and another man has set up his own t-shirt printing business. “We are supporting them to develop their businesses using their own talents,” said John. 

As is the way with many social enterprises and charities now days, they do not receive much funding and rely upon their own revenue to keep afloat. At Care in the Garden Grampy’s Gift Shop helps them do just this, selling a wide selection of seasonal and year- round gifts and treats. There is also a tea shed and twice a week a pop-up bakery and café visit selling delicious hot food and drinks. 

Recently, ten MP’s visited John and Gill, an across party social care working group organised by the Health and Social Care Community. “They were looking at our commitment and vision for the future,” said John.

Finally, John told me about the new Care in the Garden Make a Difference loyalty card that they are launching ready for this summer. It will offer customers a 5% discount on all their purchases and help the whole Island to raise funds for social care, so make sure you sign up! They are also keen for other businesses to get involved and sponsor some of their enterprises or workers, like Jaren Bathrooms already do with the Splinter Wood Products. 

“I owe a lot to Gill with her commitment and cleverness, but also to the 60 men and women who are our Supported Workers. I have learnedso much from them and it’s lovely to have this as my final working venture,” said John. “Sometimes when I’ve been up with worry, I wonder why I do this,” he admitted candidly. “There is no financial benefit to the company; the benefit is to the guys [Supported Workers], the community and wider understanding of equality at work. But then I think of the people here and I do it for them. Everybody deserves the right to be involved in the world and every aspect of life, including work.”