Horticultural therapy - one cornerstone of life at Stallcombe House.

Our work is centred on a 5 acre organic garden, registered with the Soil Association, which is a peaceful yet productive space where residents can work at their own pace and develop skills in a supportive and caring environment.

With encouragement and stimulation everyone makes an important contribution to the garden team. The harvest of a wonderful array of fresh organic vegetables and fruit is a source of real job satisfaction.

Vegetable Production

The garden also supplies a good amount of organic vegetables and fruit for the House. The residents are fully involved in the whole process of growing vegetables, their harvesting and preparation for food.

The Gratton

We are currently establishing a traditional orchard in the garden. The trees are all old Devon varieties, most of which are of East Devon origin, and will be surrounded by unimproved grassland which will hopefully support a diverse range of wildflowers. The orchard is called the Gratton, which was the name of the field where the Garden is now at least as far back as 1845. We would like to think that some of the varieties planted represent what was grown in the Stallcombe orchards in the 1800's.

The Formal Garden

The mature and extensive Formal Garden provides a beautiful setting for the house. Careful planting ensures that this area looks attractive all year round.

Wild Corners

Parts of the garden are deliberately left wild to promote wildlife. We have grass snakes, frogs, shrews, a large number of insects and birds, all of which give the garden its 'live' feel.

Cool Willow

We now have a number of willow features, all made by residents and staff. This season we will have grown enough for our own needs. Hopefully, as the seasons progress, we will be able to grow more, possibly for sale.