'A garden is much more than a physical space, it is also a mental space' - Dr Sue Stuart-Smith, The Serge Hill Project

'Being outside is a human right' - Dr Olivia Chapple, Horatio’s Garden



We were delighted to host our first ever event on gardening and health in The Apple House on 6 November in the form of our sold out symposium: The Safe Green Space: Gardens and Health, run by The Serge Hill Project in collaboration with 

, the charity run by GP Dr Richard Claxton. 

The Safe Green Space took its name from the title of a chapter in Dr Sue Stuart-Smith's internationally bestselling book on gardening and health, The Well Gardened Mind: Rediscovering Nature In The Modern World. This is the book which is in essence the seed which gave life to The Serge Hill Project, which Sue co-founded with her husband, Tom.


Following Sue's keynote introductory speech, GP Richard Claxton spoke about the journey of Gardening4Health towards becoming a charity which supports and connects a network of therapeutic gardens across the UK. This was followed by a cheery double act in the form of Garden Designer and TV presenter Arit Anderson and Sunnyside Rural Trust's CEO Keely Siddiqui Charlick who spoke about their collaboration and commitment to the type of gardening that nourishes both planet and people. Ruth Madder of Bridewell Gardens, a mental health recovery service in West Oxfordshire then spoke on the role of the horticultural therapist as well as

Everyone then explored the Plant Library with Head Gardener Millie Souter and the Barn Garden and Prairie with gardener Derek Hunter, before returning for a hearty vegetarian lunch of soup, quiche and cake. After lunch, a stirring 10 minute performance of Bach by Kurosh Davis, a former professional viola player and now Director of Tom Stuart-Smith Studio, settled everyone back into the present moment, hearts lifted and ready for the afternoon session.


The afternoon was dedicated to the incredible work of 

, the charity which creates gardens for spinal units across the UK, and featured a presentation by the charity's co-founder Dr Olivia Chapple, who also spoke to a former patient Joe Darrell about his experiences at Horatio’s Garden in Glasgow and Stanmore. Tom Stuart-Smith explored his time designing Horatio's Garden in Stanmore before Ashley Edwards shared his experience of day to day life in the gardens as Head Gardener and Horticultural Therapist there.


The shared passion and dedication to all aspects of therapeutic horticulture in the room, from speakers to audience members, was palpable and galvanising. We were so inspired that we’re already plotting ideas for our 2025 symposium! Thanks to all who took part.

A Review: The Safe Green Space: Gardens and Health Symposium

'Enlightening, inspiring, joyful, grounded, informative and inclusive' were just some of the words guests used to encapsulate their time at Working with Earth: Architecture and Landscape earlier this month.


We would like to extend a huge and heartfelt thank-you to everyone who came and took part in Working with Earth: Architecture and Landscape, the inaugural two-day symposium hosted by 

 in The Apple House earlier this month. The symposium was an exploration and celebration of the practices, projects and processes and potential of working with earth and brought together a community across architecture and landscape with an unending passion for natural materials. 


Day One featured a range of architectural practitioners: from Dr Murine Kate Dineen on natural pigments and her work with Studio Mumbai, to Edmund Fowles of Feilden Fowles on their projects including the Urban Nature Project at the Natural History Museum to earth working demonstrations from Iza Thomson and Bee Rowan, and reflections on the global impact of stabilising clay with lime in building, to Paloma Gormley on Material Cultures' recent projects and architect Ben Stuart-Smith on the processes involved in building the event's venue, the Apple House.


After an opening introduction by George Massoud of Material Cultures, Day Two brought together Loretta and Ben Bosence from Local Works on sustainable landscaping, including their collaboration with Sarah Price on her 2023 RHS Chelsea Garden, on which Sarah then gave a designer's perspective among broader insights into how she creates moments of magic in the garden using natural materials. After lunch Tom Massey, Cleve West and Tom Stuart-Smith presented on using recycled materials in their projects, including a number of show gardens, before all the speakers gathered for a panel discussing the potential, processes and practicalities of sourcing and using sustainable and recycled materials.

A Review: Working With Earth: Architecture and Landscape Symposium

BBC Sounds, Gardeners' Corner at The Serge Hill Project

Slow Mornings, Sue and Ben Stuart-Smith

‘You’re looking at plantsmanship at the sharp end… you’ve got good plants and good growing... it’s a complete one off. There's nothing like it’ - Alan Titchmarsh of his first visit to Serge Hill 

In September, Alan generously gave his time for a very special lunch with invited guests in The Apple House and a wander through The Plant Library, Prairie and Barn Garden. 

The lunch was a chance for Tom Stuart-Smith and Sue Stuart-Smith in conversation with Alan Titchmarsh to update friends and supporters of The Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity and Health on the progress made since its launch earlier this year. 

After lunch, guests also listened an inspiring speech from Sunnyside Rural Trust CEO Keely Siddiqui-Charlick, about the long standing relationship Sunnyside Rural Trust has had with Tom and Sue. Guests also had the chance explore the new Orchard Nursery run by the trust, which will start propagating on site at The Serge Hill Project shortly.

Explore The Plant Library

Sign Up for Access