Traditional Gardens and Organic Farm

The gardens are a fascinating and evolving project, combining the legacy of a historic farmhouse garden with the footprints and vision of many gardners over 150 or more years. They include established herbaceous borders, mature trees and shrubs, productive growing areas, coupled with river and woodland walks. Some areas require careful restoration and maintenance, while others offer opportunities for new planting, creative design and experimentation. It's a complex and rewarding garden, where there's always something new to discover and plenty of scope to make a real difference. Our hope is that you will find the bit of the garden that suits you! Beyond the gardens lies our 1,200-acre working organic farm. We're developing a regenerative farming system that integrates cattle, sheep, crops, woodland and wildlife. Our approach is rooted in agroecology: understanding the relationships between soil, plants, animals and people, and harnessing these natural processes to build a productive, biodiverse and resilient landscape. The gardens are part of this wider philosophy, providing opportunities to explore everything from composting, vermiculture and soil health to food production, habitat creation and the integration of trees and plants. For volunteers, Mindrum offers a chance to contribute to the maintenance and ongoing development of a remarkable garden while experiencing a working farm that is actively exploring a different future for agriculture. Every season brings with it a number of challenges, working in borders, pruning, cutting back and weeding. We host a number of educational and farm visits and are developing a number of ecological and wildlife walks, extending the garden into the surrounding countryside and blurring the boundaries between managed garden and the agroecological patchwork that makes up our farming model. We open the garden in June for the National Garden Scheme. For those with an ecological leaning, we are running a number of agroecological research projects through the year so if your thing is birds, dung beetles or species rich grassland, then we may have some projects for you. We are also seeking to develop a food forest and our vegetable production area between farm and garden, so get in touch if this is of interest. As with every garden there is a balance between the day to day tasks and innovation, research and development but we can discuss your interests and find a balance that suits.