Maghaberry Prison

Secret Garden

An order of shrubs and young plants left Maghaberry Prison’s Horticultural Unit at the end of March 2006 on its way to the Secret Garden in Hillsborough which is part of the Praxis Care Group.

The order established a partnership between Maghaberry prison and the Secret Garden which sees the prison's Horticultural Unit supply the Garden with shrubs, summer bedding and hanging basket plants.

After reading an article about the Garden in a local newspaper Maghaberry’s Horticulture Instructor, Martin Robb, contacted Mike Allen, Development Officer of the Secret Garden to see how Maghaberry might help.

“I was keen to support this worthy project of restoring the former walled kitchen garden of Hillsborough Castle and thought that we might be able to help.  We employ up to 10 students in the Unit.  They are currently working towards either a City and Guilds Skills Test in Horticulture or an NVQ Level 2 in Nursery or Landscaping in Amenity Horticulture.  Through their work for the Garden they will be able to learn a wide variety of new skills and put that towards getting their horticulture qualifications.  At the same they are putting their training to very good use.

“This project really motivates the men working in the gardens: it gives them a real sense of value and pride in the work they are doing, as well as, contributing to their rehabilitation and resettlement.

“The training they do here coupled with this type of work experience will prepare them well for jobs in the horticulture sector on their release.”

The renovation of the Secret Garden at Hillsborough began in 2001 and provides training opportunities for people with learning disabilities and the project has created 4 full-time jobs.  Former Secretary of State Mo Mowlam gave the Walled Garden to the community. 

Mike Allen, from the Secret Garden, said he was delighted that Maghaberry had come on board:

“The prison has been very accommodating and has readily worked with us to supply what we need.  As a charitable organisation this partnership will help us to increase our capacity and benefit our trainees.

“Today we have taken delivery of around 230 shrubs and 35 trays of summer hanging basket plants, which our trainees will be kept busy potting up, and getting them ready for sale in the garden.”

“This is a very special year for the Praxis Care Group as we are celebrating our 25th anniversary.  This project at Hillsborough is one of a number which advance the social care of vulnerable individuals through providing a range of innovative quality services which promote independence and encourage active participation in the community.”
 
The Secret Garden is open from Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 3.30pm.  It is hoped to extend the opening hours to include Saturday opening in the future.

Already successful fruit and vegetable gardens have been established, the orginal paths are largely restored, old tree stumps have been cleared and a section of the garden has been set aside for honey production.

Donald McCarthy, a Landscaper and Garden Designer , works two days per week at the Garden and joined the project in January 2002.

"At that stage we were facing a major challenge.  The Garden had been neglected for over 40 years and we had a very limited budget and little access to equipment and machinery.  All of the work so far has been done by trainees under the guidance and support of staff.  The paths in particular were a major job.  I am sure we have dug out over 80 tonnes of debris that has accumulated over the years and we are now laying gravel down to restore the original walkways.  I would say there must have been about 4-6 inches to come off them.  Our trainees worked really hard, in all sorts of weather and have done a really amazing job.

"The Garden itself is quite rare and is, I would say , probably one of the largest walled kitchen gardens not just in Ireland but in Europe.  It is a real treasure and will be even more so once restored.  This Garden would have supplied fruit and vegetables to the Castle and in years gone by it wouldn't have been unusal to find pineapples and other exotic fruits being grown in such a garden as sections of the walls in those days would have been heated.  Central heating was actually orginally designed for greenhouses and later introduced as a means of heating homes.

More detail about the Secret Garden/PRAXIS

• The Secret Garden project aims to transform a derelict 5 acre walled garden located at Hillsborough Castle into a community organic horticultural business. 
•  A coffee shop opened at the Garden in 2005.
• The Secret Garden is part of PRAXIS Care Group whose vision is one of excellence and innovation in support of living.
• The Mission of Praxis Care Group is “Advancing the social care of vulnerable individuals of all ages, through providing a range of innovate quality services which promote independence and encourage active participation in the local community.