testimonials
Gardening Course
“I learned a lot about soil types and the amazing array of plants that grow in the garden Marie has created for Unwind with Plants.
A truly inspiring experience, the garden is steeped in nature. I came away with a sense of peaceful satisfaction and a feeling of achievement and calm that comes from gardening. Thank you Marie. I highly recommend your workshop to anyone 😊🌸🌱🪲🐞🐝🍀🌸”
“I was there yesterday and had a lovely time. What a place to visit with birds singing and great views.
Marie is a wonderful host and the time flew making a mandala and potting up pots. I will be back. Thank you!”
“Thank you so much for a wonderful summer of workshops. I really enjoyed them and have learned so much!”
“ I feel great after the workshop. It was great and I learned a lot. I enjoyed planting the flowers and deadheading them. I enjoyed every minute of it. ”
Evening classes - Castleknock community college
“Loved it. Made a point of changing plans to make it here each Tuesday.”
“Garden centre was a useful trip - learned a lot. Also enjoyed the mix of practical and traditional lessons. Simple language was good too. ”
“Comprehensive explanation of content. Most enjoyable and enlightening”
“I feel more confident now visiting the garden centre and know now what to buy and when to sow for success”
“Practical nature- lots of hands on demonstrations. Garden centre visit was very useful. Notes are good to refer back to. Marie was very helpful, knowledgeable and informative”
“I loved the theory of gardening and learned so much. I loved every minute of it.”
“Very wide range of topics covered - very good information. Enjoyed the practical class immensely.”
“Excellent suite of slides and notes covering all areas of relevant information.”
“Marie was lively and involved us in the course. Huge information given and much learned! ”
“Easy to follow, not too complicated. Able to ask questions, even if not related to the topic.”
“Thank you for this very informative course. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!”
“Marie was brilliant. The pace was perfect. Content excellent!”
“As a total beginner, I have learned a lot and feel more confident. I liked the style and friendliness and warmth of Marie in explaining what was on the powerpoint.”
“Definitely have more confidence to tackle my garden and planting thanks to Marie’s in-depth knowledge of horticulture and gardening. ”
“Many thanks Marie for your dedication in making this such an interesting topic. You covered so much content it exceeded my expectations. ”
“I liked every part of the course and enjoyed it a lot!”
“Marie covered a wide variety of topics and was very open to answering questions”
“I found the course really interesting and Marie was really good at explaining things”
“Many thanks for all your valuable information received on my gardening course, really enjoyed it! ”
Community Group seasonal PROGRAMMES
“The Gardening Club has proved an immense success here at the recovery village; not only did the flowers bloom but the people attending did also, it was amazing to watch the transformation in peoples posture, smiles, interaction and eagerness to learn more. A bond grew up in the group as was evident in the increased chatter and social engagement. The thirst for knowledge seemed never to be sated as the interest in learning and understanding grew weekly. The tutor Marie showed a wonderful knowledge and ability to impart it with an enthusiasm that matched its receipt. She has a natural manner that endears her to people and helps them feel relaxed and responsive to learning. This is a group that has furthermore contributed to the development of a flowered and colourful environment here at the village helping to create a space of welcome and symbols of growth and recovery which are the corner stones of our existence”
“Thank you for your time and expertise during our garden club. Our residents and staff really enjoyed it! ”
“I’ve done a 4-week course and learned so much, Marie was brilliant. Highly recommend Unwind with Plants. Can’t wait for the next course. So relaxing and met some great people!”
“Another enjoyable morning learning so much with a great group of people 🌷🌺🌹💐🪴.”
“Very interesting and you learn so much. Love the idea of returning and seeing them grow. I am partially sighted but could partake with the smell and feel of all the lovely plants. Thank you and ever so grateful!”
“Marie is amazing so talented and lovely ! We are truly having so much fun and learning lots too !!!! 😊”
“It was nice to do it all together in a group. I love gardening and sowing seeds and this took me back to long summer days in my own garden with my children. The smells, the feel of the leaves, it was just lovely to get to be a part of that again. It provided a lovely sense of calm and peace, I would love to do it again. ”
“The garden club was a fantastic addition to our activities. The sensory element was excellent where residents could experience the colours and feel of the flowers and plants. Marie, our tutor, was excellent showing us and captivating us all with her interest and love for nature. ”
“Very good. I remember doing the garden at home, Mam looked after them. I enjoyed making the mandala and seeing all the lovely flowers. ”
“So enjoyed our Spring programme Marie. Can’t wait for the Summer one.”
“It was lovely to see growing plants and know how to look after them. The smells were lovely. I remember my mother cooking with herbs. Today we saw lovely flowers and smells. ”
“This garden club has the potential to increase service user’s well-being and promote social interactions. It is easier for service users to socialise with each other while doing a common activity. Overall the service users appeared to enjoy the garden club giving them a sense of purpose.”
“It was an educational and enjoyable experience working with you. Thank you for all of the hard work and dedication you put in!”
“The Unwind with Plants Garden Club Programme was a huge success and Marie brought more than just plants with her. She brought a calmness and wealth of knowledge leaving behind the lovely smells and colours of a beautiful garden (you could hear a pin drop in the room)”
“Thanks to Marie, Unwind with Plants, for a very successful and most enjoyable horticulture programme”