Horticulture is a long established day service, running since 1987. It is located in Edgerton adjacent to Bryan Road day services
The service provides training and employment in all aspects of horticulture. The service maintains the grounds of all the Bridgewood Trust establishments and competes with outside agencies for landscaping and maintenance contracts, all under the supervision of trained staff.
Service users who attend Horticulture have the opportunity to become involved in maintenance contracts or remain back at base to work in the nursery which is open to the public.
The individualised service user programme runs activities to suit all interests and preferences, these include:
Educational and skills development
- Propagation and plants from seeds and plugs
- Visits to nurseries for plant and stock purchases and to expand interest and knowledge
- Making compost; educate on purpose, structure and content of compost
- Maintenance of mowers and gardening equipment; repairing, cleaning, oiling etc
- Learning the safe use of machinery, use of personal protection, goggles, gloves etc
- Aspects of conservation, supplying own fuel for stoves and re-cycling of materials
- Upcycling of wood to make furniture and wood carving
- Making bird boxes, bird tables, planters, door plates and seasonal goods etc
- Use of the computer for plant labelling and pricing
- Selling of plants, garden produce, compost and craft items
Social and community involvement
- Links with general public, schools and businesses
- External contracts for ground maintenance work and conservation schemes
- Attendance at auctions for goods including christmas trees
- Weekend open days to sell plants
The Horticulture nursery is open Monday-Friday 9am-12pm, closed for lunch then, 1pm- 4pm all year round except from bank holidays and the period between Christmas and new year.
All items for sale are seasonal and the staff and service users take much pride in their produce, some of which include;
- Summer bedding plants
- Hanging baskets
- A wide range of Clematis and climbers
- Perennials, shrubs, fruit trees
- Home grown seasonal vegetables
- Bird boxes and bird tables
- Christmas trees and wreaths