Gardening and painting at Cartmell Cottage

Past Finders Garden Adventure – Wall-to-Wall Sunshine, Smiles, Paint, Veggies & Flowers!

Sunday 25th October

What a fantastic day of sunshine, smiles, teamwork and hands-on learning!

In true Past Finders spirit, we rolled up our sleeves, got stuck in and made some wonderful things happen!

Our Garden Adventure was bursting with enthusiasm as we explored how to create a garden from scratch, learning new skills and discovering the joy of growing our own vegetables and flowers. But that wasn’t all! We also took on the exciting challenge of bringing an old hen house back to life. There was paint splattered here and there, plenty of laughter, and lots of proud smiles as everyone played their part in giving this old building a fresh new look!

For Past Finders, days like these are about so much more than gardening. They’re about learning practical skills, sharing knowledge between generations, celebrating our heritage and preserving the stories and places that connect us to our past. By caring for our surroundings, restoring old structures and learning how things were done in years gone by, we’re helping to keep our history alive for future generations.

And what a brilliant turnout! It was wonderful to welcome so many new faces and see everyone working together, making memories and enjoying a morning full of purpose, fun and community spirit.

A huge thank you to The Lodges for kindly delivering delicious food parcels to keep everyone fuelled and happy. And a massive shout-out to our top chefs for making sure nobody went hungry!

Look What We Planted!

Our budding gardeners have been busy filling the garden beds with an exciting selection of vegetables, along with beautiful flowers to bring colour and life to our growing space.

Here’s what we planted:

Broccoli
Cauliflower and cabbage
Potatoes
Carrots and parsnips
Swede and white turnip
Beetroot
Spinach, lettuce and radish
Beautiful flower plants to brighten up the garden!

Just imagine the excitement of watching these little seedlings grow, tending to the beds, learning where our food comes from and eventually enjoying the rewards of all that hard work!

Our garden is already looking incredible, and this is only the beginning. Every seed planted is a little investment in the future, bringing people together through learning, growing and caring for our shared environment.

Bringing the Old Hen House Back to Life!

Alongside all the gardening excitement, our team got busy giving an old hen house some much-needed love and attention.

With paintbrushes in hand, enthusiasm running high and the occasional paint splat, everyone helped breathe new life into this old structure.

Restoring and caring for buildings from the past is an important part of what Past Finders is all about. These structures can tell us so much about how people lived, worked and cared for their animals in years gone by. By learning how to look after them, we help preserve a little piece of our heritage and pass those skills and stories on to the next generation.

It’s wonderful to see history being brought to life through practical, hands-on experiences — and there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of seeing what a team can achieve together!

A HUGE Thank You to Our Amazing Supporters!

Community spirit was shining just as brightly as the sunshine, and we couldn’t have achieved so much without the kindness and generosity of our wonderful supporters.

A heartfelt thank you to:

• The Lodges – for the delicious food parcels and keeping our team well fed.
• Government House – for the generous donations of plants.
• Andrew – for rotovating the ground like a champion!
• Jonny – for keeping the grass neatly cut.

And, of course, a massive thank you to our fantastic volunteers Juliet, Dion and Remi, who generously gave their precious time, energy and enthusiasm to help make the day such a success. We appreciate you all more than words can say!

Growing Together, Preserving Our Past

The garden is looking incredible, the hen house is getting a new lease of life, and the smiles say it all!

Days like this remind us why Past Finders is so special. We’re not just planting vegetables, painting old buildings or learning new skills. We’re creating opportunities for people to connect with their heritage, understand the past, care for the present and help shape the future.

Every helping hand, every seed planted and every brushstroke contributes to something bigger — a stronger community with a shared appreciation for the history and traditions that make our heritage so valuable.

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who came along, rolled up their sleeves and made this Garden Adventure one to remember!

Here’s to more sunshine, more learning, more laughter and many more adventures as we continue to grow our garden and keep our heritage alive.

Incredible teamwork makes the dream work!

Past Finders – Growing together, learning from the past and preserving our heritage for the future!