The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden is a horticulture and history project funded by the WCVA’s Volunteering Wales Grant. We work with adults with Learning Disabilities and community volunteers to develop and care for a cottage garden based at Saint Fagans National Museum of History.
We also support project participants in researching the history of the garden, Ysgubor Fawr cottage, on-site and its past inhabitants using Saint Fagans’ archives and Glamorgan Archives.
About the project
The Secret Garden project has two themes. It is both a gardening and historical research project. We offer the opportunity to take part in hands-on gardening sessions at our garden at Saint Fagans to learn about and trial gardening techniques from the past, such as planting for medicinal or cleaning purposes. Participants will also research the garden, the cottage and its inhabitants in partnership with St Fagans National Museum of History and Glamorgan Archives. Our activities are free of charge, and we encourage anyone to join.
Participants can take part in either the gardening or history element or both if they wish! We will present our findings at an exhibition created by project participants for museum visitors at the end of the project.
Project activities
- Weekly gardening sessions based at the Secret Garden to care for and develop the site.
- Planning sessions to decide what needs doing in the garden.
- One-off nature and gardening activities at the Secret Garden or Saint Fagans National Museum of History.
- Historical research activities based at Saint Fagans National Museum of History and Glamorgan Archives to learn about the garden’s past.
- Planning sessions to organise the end-of-project exhibition about the garden’s past.
How can I join?
Please contact our Skills and Wellbeing team at 02920 382 151 or email us to join.
Gardening at the Secret Garden
History at the Secret Garden
Project feedback
The reason I go to the Secret Garden is the staff of Innovate Trust, I think [are] very good, the fresh air, we plant bulbs there and vegetables. I meet other people like myself and it gets me out of the flat.
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