all encouraged to grow at gardens

charity Scope ran it to enable disabled adults to work under supervision. Now Employ My Ability aims to build the site up to the stage The Walled Garden is at now. It already has a café, offering lovely food seven days a week, and the centre offers delivery for plants and even hires out plants for special occasions such as weddings. There are currently 14 students here.

In Moreton, they welcome guest speakers who offer the students a wide range of experiences and skills – for example, a new mum visited recently with her baby, as many students had never been around babies before.

With so much going on, it’s no wonder the students’ lives are being transformed. Student Ashley Hadley, 20, from Swanage, now has ambitions to work in the kitchens at Weymouth’s Westfield Arts College. He said: “I enjoy working in the garden and in the café.” The balance is struck between maintaining the café and gardens as commercially viable concerns and an educational establishment, which means there are teams of staff working in the café and gardens, who receive training in how to support the SEN students here.

Kelsi said: “I don’t think there’s anything like this anywhere else. It’s pretty special.

“Maybe we need to shout about it more.” n The Walled Garden is open 9am-4pm seven days a week, and holds a number of special events. There’s a dog show being held here on May 29, with lots of fun classes.To learn more, pop in or go to: walledgardenmoreton.co.uk thorngrovegardencentre.co. uk employmyability.org.uk