Blooming Well - Supporting Your Recovery Through Gardening

24/10/2025

We are thrilled to announce that ‘Blooming Well‘ has been accepted to be part of the Co-op Local Community Fund for 2025/6.

The funds will enable us to offer our therapeutic horticultural sessions at our site in Sheepstor, Dartmoor in 2026 and into the future, if we can persuade enough people to support us.

Co-op members can nominate us as their cause from today. The more members who choose us, the more funding we’ll receive. So if you are a member, please vote for us. If you’re not please consider joining for £1. We’ll receive extra funding if you do.

Vote for us by going on the Co-op app or by visiting www.coop.co.uk/membership.
Click on the ‘community’ tab, scroll down and you’ll see ‘choose a local cause’. You’ll find us there.

We’d be grateful if you can share with family, friends and other Co-op members.

Thank you so much. Your support means a lot to us.

Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre Macmillan Cancer Support Thrive
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Occupational Therapy at the University of Plymouth Wildside Garden
Chill South Devon Horticultural Therapy Trust Co-op Macmillan in the South West

10/08/2025

It’s all been happening at our Penlee allotment this week ☘️☘️

Huge thanks to Plymouth Round Table for generously donating our greenhouse, and to Jon their chairman for coming to meet us and see the amazing harvest produced for everyone to share 🍅🍆🥒🌶

A big thank you too to our growing Blooming Well Tuesday drop-in community for erecting the greenhouse (challenging at times but what a team! ) and to everyone for their seed sowing 🌱

Our ‘wonky’ vegetables make us smile too 😊 and taste just as delicious

Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre Macmillan Cancer Support Macmillan Cancer Support
Occupational Therapy at the University of Plymouth Thrive Chill South Devon Wildside Garden

01/03/2025

Wonderful to have Occupational Therapy students from the University of Plymouth join us for their community volunteering experience In Sheepstor & at our Penlee allotment too. Such brilliant help in getting everything in place for our 2025 growing season Sorry it was so cold!

Students talked with our participants whilst undertaking gardening activities together, helping students gain an understanding of the experiences & challenges individuals face in recovery / living with cancer.

A few students' reflections:

"lovely to see the positive impact it has on the lives of the people who use this service"

"it was a privilege to talk to participants & something I will be ever thankful for"

"learn how the project helped through providing peer support & something to look forward to"

A special thanks to our participants who gave up their time to be with us, you clearly made an impact on the students, our willow weavers, Pat and Dave, who shared their knowledge & helped us create 'sweet pea obelisks' and a big thank you to the academic staff who joined us too.

Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre Macmillan Cancer Support Thrive Occupational Therapy at the University of Plymouth Macmillan in the South West
University of Plymouth Chill South Devon Wildside Garden

20/12/2024

Annie and Nick wish everyone at Blooming Well, their family, friends and all our followers, a Happy Festive season and a restful start to 2025. We are so grateful for all the support you have given us this year.

We had a fabulous time at our festive celebrations. What a creative community - wonderful decorations made from our winter prunings, greenery, pine cones, berries, cinnamon, star anise, dried orange slices, stars and hearts, red buttons and ribbons - amazing!

Thank you to everyone who joined us, to Chris for helping to get 'the creative juices flowing' and to Tessa for our video. Really captures the spirit! 🥰🎄⛄❄️

Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Macmillan Cancer Support Macmillan in the South West Thrive Horticultural Therapy Trust Chill South Devon Wildside Garden

07/11/2024

Blooming Well has hit the headlines - in a good way!

A huge thank you to Guy for the lovely write up and to everyone in our group who was up for being part of it. You are all stars including Rosie, the captivating canine!

Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust Macmillan Cancer Support Horticultural Therapy Trust Occupational Therapy at the University of Plymouth Chill South Devon Wildside Garden Grower's Organic Thrive



🍂🍁👩‍🌾👨‍🌾

Amid the gently falling leaves of autumn when you might expect gardens to be quiet, the tranquility of a Dartmoor garden is, instead, a hive of activity.

22/08/2024

Strange goings on at the Blooming Well allotment!

We’re harvesting Pink Fir Apple potatoes that look like rabbits🐰and cucumbers that look like rubber ducks 🐤!

And yesterday a plastic cabbage 🥬 was discovered on our plot! Had us fooled for a few moments🤣🤣

A search is on to find the person responsible!

Always something to plant a smile on our faces 😊😊
Macmillan Cancer Support Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre Horticultural Therapy Trust Into the Blue Thrive

13/06/2024

Our new 'Blooming Well' allotment at Penlee is coming on a pace with all the help we're getting from our Tuesday volunteers - what an amazing team. A huge thank you to everyone.

Our shed has a new roof, the old shed which sadly was too dilapidated to fix, has come down. and we've now got a new 're-cycled pallet' compost bin.

The sweet peas are flowering, the courgettes, squashes and pumpkins have been planted out, the potatoes earthed up, and our redcurrant, blackcurrant and gooseberries are almost ready to harvest.

Our Tuesday drop in 11-1400hrs is a time to connect to nature, enjoy sowing seeds, planting and harvesting, and the camaraderie that is 'Blooming Well'. Anyone who has participated in our programmes can just turn up. Family and friends are welcome too.

Let us know if you're planning to visit and we'll make sure we've got enough cups and biscuits to go round! We look forward to welcoming you, rain or shine.

For more info please contact the Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre at University Hospitals Plymouth 01752 430060

Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Occupational Therapy at the University of Plymouth Horticultural Therapy Trust Macmillan Cancer Support

12/05/2024

1 day only

Tomato plants available today in Sheepstor, PL20 6PF by the village cross / church. Donations to support our Blooming Well events. We’ll be here until dusk. Please spread the word.

07/05/2024

Delighted that 'Blooming Well' at the Mustard Tree now has its very own allotment at Penlee Valley, Plymouth. Thanks to the Horticultural Therapy Trust for putting us up in 2023, and so pleased we'll still be neighbours.

Dragged Nick our volunteer (a fairweather gardener by his own admission) and John along to view in late February in the rain!

Lots of work to do to get the plot into shape, but as you can see we're getting plenty of help from our ever willing 'Blooming Wellers' at our new 'Tuesday drop-in' 11.00-14.00 - an opportunity to commune with others, spend time in nature and create a peaceful and productive oasis for everyone to share.

We're so lucky to have such amazing support. Thank you everyone.

Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust Chill South Devon Horticultural Therapy Trust Macmillan Cancer Support

23/03/2024

Come and join us for our next Blooming Well programme - supporting your recovery through gardening, starting on Wednesday 17th April 2024. 👩‍🌾🪴

The programme is run in partnership with the Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre at University Hospitals Plymouth. It's free to attend and there are still places available.

You will get the opportunity to meet and spend time with others who are recovering too.

We welcome everyone - those who are new to gardening and growing your own, and those who are more expert. 🎋🪻🌹

We hope you'll be able to join us 🌞 🌻

For more info please contact the Mustard Tree on 01752 430060.
Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust Chill South Devon

25/02/2024

So excited to receive this video from Blooming Well's very own Kerry. Her daughter, aka Gracie Tiggywinkles giving us some excellent tips on how to look after our hedgehogs 🦔🦔and attract them into our gardens.

Gracie has drawn a beautiful hedgehog illustration and written a wonderful poem too. See both in the comments.

Thank you Gracie. You're an amazing reporter and we love your hedgehog headwear!

We're very lucky to have our own resident hedgehog at our Blooming Well garden in Sheepstor. We're looking forward to saying hello when it comes out of hibernation.😴🦔

Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust Macmillan Cancer Support Hedgehog Care and Rehab Plymouth PL5 RSPCA (England & Wales) Macmillan in the South

18/02/2024

Want to try growing your own potatoes 🥔🥔this year? We'd definitely recommend giving it a go. They are an incredibly easy crop - you don't even need a garden. They can be planted in a large pot or bag.

You've still got time to get to down to your local garden centre to buy your seed potatoes! We’ve bought ours and chosen old favourites - Charlotte, Nicola and Pink Fir Apple, and some new to us - Orla and Alouette.

Its time to chit them now. This is the process of forcing seed potatoes into growth before planting them out. This will give your potatoes a head start and will reward you with an earlier and bigger harvest.

Find a cool, bright spot with indirect sunlight e.g. a porch or windowsill, with a temp of 7-12 degrees. Place seed potatoes in egg cartons, eyes facing up. Let them sprout short shoots. This usually takes 4-6 weeks. Ideally you want deep green almost purple short, stubby sprouts 2.5-5cm.

Once chitted, plant them outdoors when the risk of frost has passed. Space them around 30cm (1 ft ) apart for ‘earlies’ or 37cm (15in) for ‘main crop’. If frost is forecast you will need to protect if shoots have appeared above the ground.

Happy planting and even more happy eating this summer!