GARDENS for good

Getting outdoors doesn't just boost wellbeing, it connects people and makes a difference

Everyone deserves a magical garden full of wonder and fun

‘CHILDREN LEARN JUST BY BEING HERE’

Lara Honnor, 41, lives in Somerset with her husband Mikey. She started her own school community garden, Skool Beanz, in 2019.

Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. What got me through chemo and radiotherapy was my daily walk in my local park. Breathing the fresh air and watching the changing seasons opened my eyes to the power of nature.

Before my diagnosis, my ambition was to act. But after my treatment, I decided to do a diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture. During my training, I worked in an amazing garden with famous gardener Charles Dowding. It was like a Roald Dahl story, with kohlrabies and cabbages that looked like baby elephants. I was hooked.

I wanted to recreate that feeling of awe by making my own Alice in Wonderland-style garden for children. I asked my local primary school if I could run a gardening club, and a whole new world opened up. The club was popular, so I took over some disused allotments and set up a community interest company. I charge £10 for two-hour gardening sessions for children, and that money is used to buy materials and cover expenses. My main income is from working as a landscape and kitchen gardener, but I hope to be running Skool Beanz full-time soon.

I put the jobs up on a board, we have a little meeting, then we get going. The children can help or just watch, paint or play. They’re learning simply by being there, and it feels glorious to create happy childhood memories. I now also run adult courses and regularly speak to gardening clubs. I believe that everyone deserves a magical garden full of wonder and fun.