A WELL-LOVED visitor attraction is launching a series of events for all the community over summer and autumn.
Helmsley Walled Garden is launching its first Community Day on June 10 with more events planned in the following months.
The aim is to bring people together to enjoy time outdoors, say organisers.
The first event will be a free-of-charge starter session in willow-weaving, however paid garden entry is required to take part.
Course goers will learn to weave a garden ornament which they can take home to decorate further.
Picnics can take place in the garden and the Vine House Café will also be supplying pre-bookable lunch boxes which visitors can enjoy on the lawn.
The afternoon will include a posy-picking event, especially for children, where they’ll use a map to find, learn about and pick a bunch of blooms to take home.
A spokesperson for the gardens said: "We encourage our visitors to take their time when they visit, to stop and enjoy the oft-tremendous birdsong and enjoy all the garden has to offer, hopefully leaving with a renewed sense of well-being."
They added:"It’s never been more important to get out into nature, and there are numerous studies showing that being outdoors, in a green space, can have a huge impact on our mental wellbeing. It’s this that sits at the very heart of what Helmsley Walled Garden is all about."
Other upcoming events planned include:
• July 4: Learn to weave a bird feeder, £20 per person per course – allows entry to the garden.
• August 26: Second Community Day – ‘Get out in Nature’. Craft workshops, nature trails, talks on propagation and composting, flower arranging and more. A family fun day out. Reduced entry is £7 and under-16s are free.
• October 14: Third Community Day - Learn to weave an obelisk. Intensive 2.5 hour course. £50 per person per course – allows entry to the garden plus end of season plant and cake sale. Reduced entry £7 and under-16s free.
From its very outset, Helmsley Walled Garden was intended to be for community involvement.
Alison Ticehurst, responsible for starting the restoration of the garden, which is entirely maintained by a team of more than 100 volunteers, understood the importance of community and gardens as a place of refuge.
A spokesperson said: "The first thing you’ll notice once you have entered the garden is the peace and tranquillity it brings to visitors and garden volunteers alike.
"Overlooked by Helmsley Castle to the east and Duncombe Park to the west, these work in tandem with the garden’s ancient walls to bring a sense of safety and security to the people contained within its boundaries."
For more information visit www.helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk
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