Spring into gardening with a new Tir Coed course

by Alice Read

Powys Co-ordinator, Tir Coed

There is no doubt Spring is in the air with blossom bursting and birdsong floating on the breeze. Time to stretch our limbs and make some friends.

Last April the learning and wellbeing outdoors charity Tir Coed launched its Sustainable Horticulture course at Cultivate in Newtown, North Powys. This 20 week course covers 4 AGORED units growing a range of crops for people and nature, over a growing season. The course covers everything you need to know from assessing a site through to harvesting practices. Purposeful practical learning can build confidence and lead to employment or volunteering.

Tir Coed’s mantra is to connect people to the land and woods with a focus on improved wellbeing through practical outdoor training. Everyone engaging with Tir Coed gets outdoors, meets new people and develops their appreciation for nature, all of which have wellbeing outcomes.

Tir Coed is experienced in working with some of the hardest to reach in our society and over the last twenty years has developed a comprehensive engagement model that supports people as they develop, from first step engagement through to employment. 

As the plants start producing in the developing garden participants take home the food they have grown to cook, store or share with friends and the project mentor also opens up avenues to explore on other projects, work or courses. 

You may have seen some of the participants recently on the popular BBC television programme Countryfile as they take their next steps volunteering at Ponthafren’s community garden at Powis Castle. You can read about this garden in a post from June last year - Wellbeing Wednesdays at Powis Castle.

The incredible tutors on this latest horticultural course will be Rhiwena Slack from Cultivate and Emma Maxwell from Ash & Elm Horticulture with mentoring from Tir Coed's Powys Mentor, Matt Sheldon.

In 2024 we will be doing some trips out later in the season to visit market gardens and enterprises to think about scaling up food production, how to save your own seed and different ways to share produce. 

Every week the participants have the option of getting together with the site volunteers for a shared hot lunch thanks to Cultivate, which brings a real sense of community at the gardens.

It can be nerve racking to join a new group but what we find on our courses is that people really support each other and forge friendships. There is a gentleness to gardening alongside people. Through this activity people can be quiet or open up, it’s up to the individual.

Not sure if you want to complete the whole course? Join up for the first 5 week unit and see how it goes. In this first unit you will learn:

• Organic soil management.
• Assessing a site for growing.
• Understanding and making compost.

Feedback from previous course participants

One of last year’s participants said: “If I wasn’t here each week I would be sitting on the sofa playing computer games and watching TV. Now I am outside with people, I have structure in the week and it helps me forget about some of my pain.”

“Some days I wouldn’t feel like going out but gradually through the course I have arrived earlier and earlier and now (by the end of the course) I wish I had been on time every week and made the most of it.”

Three of the participants continue to volunteer at other projects together, supporting each other and helping with transport and new ventures.

If you would like to join this free course starting on April 9th please contact the co-ordinator Alice Read by emailing powysdevelopment@tircoed.org.uk, or tel: 07415 752 583, or visit the website to see all of the Tir Coed courses. Courses include woodland and growing courses. 

All Tir Coed courses are free.