Sowing Success

Sowing Success Bespoke social and therapeutic horticultural interventions, training and consultancy SOWING SUCCESS was initially established in 2000 by Simon Read.

SOWING SUCCESS is a small enterprise with expertise in social and therapeutic horticulture, specialising in bespoke interventions, training and consultancy work. We have a proven track record throughout the North West of the UK and throughout the country. Simon combined his horticultural expertise and extensive experience of working with people in a person-centred approach to develop social and th

erapeutic interventions. Through the medium of plants, SOWING SUCCESS aims to aid and assist individuals and groups with additional support needs through transitional stages in their lives. Social and therapeutic horticulture is the mindful use of horticultural activity to promote health and wellbeing; it is fast becoming recognised by many sectors as an exceptional medium to engage people and promote social inclusion. There is an increasing evidence base of its effectiveness as an intervention for people with a range of additional support needs, from mental health to learning difficulties and from physical disability to trauma recovery. Social and therapeutic horticulture has the ability to transform lives; by using plants, horticulture and near nature programmes, SOWING SUCCESS passionately believes we can help you and your project to increase wellbeing, skills, enjoyment and success. We at SOWING SUCCESS have seen first-hand the benefits an active involvement in gardening, through social and therapeutic horticulture programmes, can make. The range of outcomes include: connecting with others and so a reduction of social isolation and exclusion, improved physical and mental health, the acquisition of new vocational, leisure and social skills and an increased sense of purpose and wellbeing. SOWING SUCCESS has a passion for gardening and our team would like to share their experience by helping others. We have a particular expertise in leading planned, focused and targeted social and therapeutic horticulture sessions, which can enrich both the formal curriculum of mainstream schools and the social and emotional programmes in specialist educational provisions. We also have a proven proficiency in delivering specialist advice and services to a diverse range of social, health and welfare organisations, such as residential settings, hospices and hospitals. SOWING SUCCESS offer a full range of services, delivering activities as well as consultancy and horticultural advice and CPD training, to schools, care homes and hospices. Our aim is help organisations by using social and therapeutic horticulture to develop, enhance and enrich their outdoor spaces and amenities, and to provide personal and professional advice on how to get near to nature. If you are in need of specialised horticultural advice from a dedicated team of experts, then SOWING SUCCESS can help. Whether it be creating a specific programme and providing you with the knowledge and passion to move your project forward or to help you create a safe and comfortable gardening environment within your grounds, SOWING SUCCESS will nurture all your horticultural needs and sow the seeds to help your project grow.

Plants for Wellbeing Research provides overwhelming proof that ‘Near-Nature’ is vital for our health. Simply being in a ...
16/10/2020

Plants for Wellbeing

Research provides overwhelming proof that ‘Near-Nature’ is vital for our health. Simply being in a planted environment reduces heart rate, induces production of stress-busting hormones, and restores tired minds. Getting creative in your garden and nurturing plants unlocks even more healing power. As Dr Alistair Griffiths, Director of Science and Collections at the RHS explains: “Our attention is attracted to the myriad colours, shapes and patterns of plants… (which) has a huge effect on our emotions.” https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/health-and-wellbeing
For example, fractals are very common in plants, from ferns to cacti to flowers. These simple but repeating patterns and shapes are very pleasing to humans as they’re easy for our brains to process. A vast array of other similarly positive effects combine to form what Edward Wilson termed ‘Biophilia’: the inborn affinity of human beings for the natural world. We unconsciously seek out these experiences, and our Wellbeing can literally be measurably improved by such interactions.

So- sit, relax, ‘Be’; or potter, be creative, nurture: Gardens are good for you!

Last of the summer flowers prepped for making potpourri
29/09/2020

Last of the summer flowers prepped for making potpourri

Entirely expected but no less worrying... and all the more important that horticulture therapy is valued and prioritised...
03/08/2020

Entirely expected but no less worrying... and all the more important that horticulture therapy is valued and prioritised in the coming months and years

Mixed bunch of flowers to cheer us up...
28/07/2020

Mixed bunch of flowers to cheer us up...

19/08/2019
05/07/2019

Improving Wellbeing through Urban Nature (IWUN) aim to find out more about how Sheffield’s natural environment can improve the health & wellbeing of city residents

Glad that there are so many articles at the moment about outdoor play!
02/06/2019

Glad that there are so many articles at the moment about outdoor play!

Outdoor play gets kids fitter and healthier as well as making them think!

This conference sounds interesting - and it's free! It's in Leicester in June.
20/05/2019

This conference sounds interesting - and it's free! It's in Leicester in June.

Funded by the Erasmus project, this event focuses on the importance of conservation within school grounds and is free to attend. Situated in Leicester City Hall on the 13th of June, it will feature national and international key note speakers on the conservation of wildlife.

Love the interview at the end of this article 💚
15/05/2019

Love the interview at the end of this article 💚

A growing movement is promoting the role gardening can play in patient recovery and rehabilitation

Lovely personal account of how caring for plants can be therapeutic "Something deeply and profoundly dark was creeping i...
08/05/2019

Lovely personal account of how caring for plants can be therapeutic
"Something deeply and profoundly dark was creeping into a life that was supposed to be meaningful. So what do you do when you feel so bound to that kind of darkness? When you’re insolvent and lost and alone? You walk into Home Depot and purchase your first plant. Ithica, I called her. I had no idea what kind of flower she was, or what I was supposed to do with her, but I knew I needed to surround myself with something that brought the light back into my world. And oh, she brought such light!"

“If you’ve never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, plant a garden.” – Robert Brault

"as a physician, I take my patients to gardens whenever possible"
18/04/2019

"as a physician, I take my patients to gardens whenever possible"

Even for people who are deeply disabled neurologically, nature can be more powerful than any medication.

"Urban settings especially ... obscure natural processes that are fundamental to our understanding of the world we inhab...
12/04/2019

"Urban settings especially ... obscure natural processes that are fundamental to our understanding of the world we inhabit"

A group of architects proposed a new design to help raise environmentally responsible kids.

🌷😊🌷
12/04/2019

🌷😊🌷

Lovely article about challenging behaviour, outdoors and self regulation, written from a forest school perspective but a...
30/03/2019

Lovely article about challenging behaviour, outdoors and self regulation, written from a forest school perspective but applies to horticulture therapy too!

Challenging Behaviour - how does the outdoors promote a balanced brain? What do we mean by a balanced brain? Circle of Life Rediscovery Blog, by Jon Cree

19/03/2019

Hello everyone, we are looking for another practitioner to join our team! Our ideal candidate would have therapeutic, horticultural and project manager skills and experience. Please do get in touch if you have any questions!

Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner
Working principally in schools with children and young people with additional support needs, the opportunity has arisen for a suitably qualified or experienced therapeutic horticulturist to join a well established, small team of specialist Practitioners on a contract basis, providing 1:1 and small group therapeutic interventions.
The successful candidate will have a proven track record of working as a professional horticulturist, with wide ranging knowledge and a varied skills-set of managing and maintaining garden spaces and protected crops, including edibles and ornamentals.
Additionally they will have worked with vulnerable individuals, using gardening and ‘Near Nature’ as a therapeutic medium with which to increase Wellbeing.
Ideally they will also have a qualification in Counselling, preferably to level 3 Diploma. Alternatively significant experience of working using counselling skills will be required.
The role involves planning and leading therapeutic sessions, and maintaining horticultural resources, working semi-independently across several sites in Greater Manchester. Accurate record-keeping and an ability to liaise with other professionals and Agencies will be expected.
Essential Requirements:
• Level 2/3 Horticulture qualification or proven track record of successfully working in commercial or amenity horticulture
• Extensive experience of working with vulnerable individuals with e.g. mental health, learning difficulties, or Autism
• Qualifications in, or significant experience of working using Counselling skills
• Ability to work semi-independently to professional standards
• Own transport
• Working with digital/ IT systems and keeping Confidential records
• Flexible availability throughout the Academic Year, plus limited work during holiday periods
• Subject to successful Enhanced DBS check
Desirable:
• Qualification in Counselling to level 3 Diploma
• Experience of Organic growing techniques
• PA1/6 spray certificate
Hours and Pay:
Flexible part time hours to be discussed, term times, possibility of increased hours in the future. Would ideally be able to start ASAP for orientation/ transition work
£15+ per hour, negotiable, and dependant on qualifications, experience and skills.
Full job description available; email Simon Read at [email protected]

17/03/2019

Activities can range from hiking through the wilderness to being taken to wetlands for instruction on frogs or simply planting flowers at school.

04/03/2019

With a long and contested history, urban gardens have become a symbol of community activism and empowerment, and they are part of a contemporary grassroots movement supporting environmental justice, collective action, and equitable access to nutrition and good health.

More autumn colour, this time a collage of collected materials from around a school garden space
23/11/2018

More autumn colour, this time a collage of collected materials from around a school garden space

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Manchester

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