About the project


Chalk Farm Hotel LDC is a training centre for adults with learning disabilities based at Chalk Farm hotel in Willingdon. Students can train and gain hospitality and horticulture experience in a realistic setting. 

This year the garden students have a big project to be apart of.  They are reclaiming the overgrown gardens and land adjoining the hotel to make a new sensory garden, wildlife garden and begin an allotment within the walled gardens.

Watch our journey as the big adventure begins!!!

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The winter months and lots of renovation

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 Although its winter, nothing is stopping the garden team from renovations and clearing in the secret garden.  Work began by clearing all the brambles from the wildlife area and we discovered two amazing ponds.  One pond was still full of water even though it had a canopy of bamboo over it and debris.  It has been such a delight to open this pond up and discover frogs and pond insects.  We are looking forward to bringing more wildlife back to these ponds in time - already the birds have rediscovered the pond and now bathing in it for a wash.   The second pond discovered did not have as much good fortune as all the pond lining had broken with bamboo growing through it.  Therefore we have decided to rip the pond liner up and fill it in with our homemade compost (Which we have plenty of). Here are lots of photos that show our journey over the last few months, newest photos to oldest. Well done to all the garden team. 
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Meet the team!

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Our garden team is complete once more! After many applications and interviews, we have completed our gardening team. Andy, Jack and Sophie will now be working with our horticulture students, providing their training and support.  Andy Garden Support Worker  Andy joined us a few months ago, working part-time as assistant garden support worker, his care and attention for the students has been incredible. Andy is now running the show as the main garden support worker. He works full time with all of the horticulture students. We are so excited to see Andy's ideas come to life.  Jack Assistant Garden support worker  Jack has also be working with us for a few months. He splits his time between us and a gardening/ landscape company. All the students are a huge fan of Jack and love to work with him! The progress that has been made since Jack joined us has been amazing.  Sophie  Assistant garden support worker  Sophie has joined the team very recently. She is still getting to know the stude
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  Garden Update!  Hey everyone, Shanice here!   I thought I would write a little update for you. Maria has now left Chalk Farm Hotel LDC for a new exciting adventure. 🎕 That means the garden gang are now in the capable hands of Jack and Andy! We also have various members of hotel staff, office staff and trustees helping out while we hire a new support worker.  The progress in the garden has been amazing!  As I am usually based in the office, popping up to see the secret garden once or twice a week is crazy. There are so many changes happening daily. From new trees being planted to removing big areas of bamboo. So much is being done. The main pond we found a few months back has now been filled in. It would have been lovely to make the large pond a main feature in the garden, but it needed a lot of work, maintenance and money. We also felt it would be too risky to have such a large open area of water for both students and hotel guests.  In its place will be a grass area and rockery.  Th
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