“The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden”
Our ethos
Good/ (gud)
Noun
1. That which is morally right; righteousness
2. Benefit or advantage to someone or something
About Garden4Good
“Garden4Good” is our guiding ethos for our garden; the idea that every choice we make about the garden and the activities it inspires has the potential to be a good choice, and that we are active in making it so.
It’s something that we have come to feel very passionately about as we work towards our goal to be a Garden4Good.
And through our Instagram account @Quintonrectorygarden, this site and our blogs, we’ll be sharing some of our own experiences and good news garden stories that have inspired us in the hope that they might inspire others too.
Our aim
We want the Garden4Good message to germinate, take root and spread; and this is where its ecosystem begins.
Silent Space
One of the comments we hear most frequently from garden visitors is that the garden has an atmosphere of calm serenity, something that was always a goal for us. So when we came across the Silent Space movement, the idea of setting aside an area of the garden for quiet contemplation, it instantly appealed.
We have designated the little dell underneath our willow tree as a Silent Space. We invite garden visitors to spend some time in this space, without the distraction of conversation or a demanding mobile telephone, to soak up the sense of calm. Connecting with nature, being present with the sights, sounds and smells of the garden and sinking into the embrace of silence.
“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear”
Brilliant English Gardens
by Clive Nichols
We were thrilled to be included in Clive Nichols’ gorgeous book Brilliant English Gardens. Published in 2022, we’re in good company with our garden featured alongside those at Forde Abbey, The Newt in Somerset and Gravetye Manor, amongst others.
Clive (“Britain’s Best Garden Photographer” according to Canon Magazine), has photographed the garden throughout the seasons and has run photography workshops from the garden. If you’d be interested on attending a future workshop with Clive, please let us know.
You can click here to buy a copy of the book, or have a flick through ours when you come to visit!
Breathe4Good
Another way we’ve been using our garden for good is by hosting regular wellbeing workshops, retreat days and gatherings.
Run by our sister organisation Breathe4Good, these events have helped us to create a supportive wellbeing community as well as raising thousands of pounds for various charities. And – we hope – creating unique and inspiring experiences for our participants.
The garden (and house) are also the venue for Emma’s holistic treatments, including 1:1 Breathwork therapy. You can find out more about these on the Breathe4Good website.
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I thought I’d take some time to share why we’ve chosen Garden4Good.co.uk as the domain name for our garden website.
Garden4Good is a mantra that took root (the pun entirely deliberate) earlier this year when we decided to formalise our garden’s fundraising activities,