Over the last few years, the Knoll Gardens Foundation has had the privilege of supporting local charities and schools on bespoke gardening projects, offering special access days, and opening its gates to local groups.
Working on a project with Wimborne Community Garden, Knoll Gardens Neil Lucas shared his expertise advising on naturalistic plantings, and the Foundation donated a selection of grasses and perennials from the nursery at Knoll to help realise a newly planned sensory garden for all to enjoy.
Jane Benson, Wimborne Community Garden Manager said: “Within the Wimborne Community Garden we have a wonderful sensory garden which blossomed into life due to the exciting collaboration between two of our very talented designer volunteers and Neil Lucas, who so generously came and shared his ideas and enthusiasm. Not only that, but Knoll Gardens also then donated numerous, glorious, billowing grasses to the design and as the year has progressed, the sensory garden has flourished and brought joy to countless visitors and garden users.”
And the legacy will continue, not only in the form of the garden but as the collaboration inspired Wimborne Community Garden to enter a Gardeners’ World competition at Beaulieu in May.
In another community collaboration in 2025, children from Beaucroft Foundation School in Colehill visited Knoll Gardens on a special access day. Having the gardens completely to themselves, they were able to safely explore and enjoy a rare sense of freedom, crucial for both students and staff. The naturalistic plantings at Knoll offered the perfect setting to draw the students in, with soft, sweeping paths for them to follow, round generous beds of taller grasses and flowering perennials, all positively humming with wildlife.
Knoll Gardens Foundation would like to extend its invitation wider to charitable and educational organisations and voluntary community or environmental groups from across the UK, who would benefit from an exclusive visit to the gardens, and be interested in learning more about Knoll’s approach to naturalistic gardening. Free of charge, the visits can take place on Monday or Tuesday when the gardens are closed to the public.
The Foundation is also delighted to continue offering the opportunity for invited local groups and clubs to enjoy the gardens free of charge on Fridays in the summer. To date clubs with varied interests from creative writing and art to photography and gardening have been inspired by the gardens’ wildlife-friendly naturalistic planting and the textures, form and colour they offer.
Conservation or nature-based groups who would enjoy exploring the wildlife-rich plantings at Knoll, or community and social groups who would benefit from time in the peaceful gardens, are welcome to come forward to express interest.
Further information about these visits including how to register interest, together with details of the Foundation and its work can be found at: www.knollgardens.co.uk/foundation
Photo Credit Dave Peckham Photography
