St Mary's Secret Garden

Who we are

St. Mary’s Secret Garden is a beautiful and accessible community garden with a difference in Hackney, London.

For over 25 years it has offered a safe space where people with support needs and the wider local community can get hands-on experience of gardening, gain a sense of inclusion and receive the benefits of horticulture, nature connection and other ecotherapy activities.

We help combat isolation, develop valuable employment skills, gain qualifications and contribute to a greener, healthier, happier community.

Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide well-being through gardening and we are passionate about providing educational opportunities, relieving social exclusion and providing therapy to those in need through horticulture and healthy living.

Educating those around us
We aim to provide education in growing, gardening and healthy living through accredited and non-accredited horticulture-based learning opportunities for individuals, groups and our local community. We host an expert team of horticulturalists, florists and garden designers who are highly experienced in working with individuals with learning disabilities, sensory and communication impairments, experience of mental health distress, physical disabilities and many other long term and life changing illnesses and offer progressive and accessible learning opportunities to those in need.

Relieving social exclusion
We provide a beautiful urban garden where everyone is welcome to come and get their hands dirty. We recognise that individuals with support needs can be left isolated and unable to do things that others often take for granted and we aim to relieve this isolation and social exclusion through the opportunities we provide. Our garden is safe and accessible for all and open for all to visit, enjoy, experience and learn from. We not only invite all around us to our garden but also reach out to our local community through activities involving horticulture, herbs and food growing.
 

Providing therapy through horticulture and healthy living
We are experts in using gardening and associated activities as a tool for mental, social and physical activity and rehabilitation following illness and health problems, providing both horticultural therapy and ecotherapy to those in need. Our programmes aim to relieve the symptoms of disability, health and social issues through using our expertise to help people grow plants, make friends, live healthier lives and flourish.