The Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity and Health is a not-for-profit initiative based on the understanding that working with nature can radically transform people’s lives.
Located in Hertfordshire on the site of an old orchard with the beautiful Apple House at its centre and a unique collection of plants called The Plant Library, the project offers resources to local schools, community groups, youth organisations and mental health charities.
Our community programme fosters social inclusion through nature connection, gardening and other forms of creativity. We also run an innovative programme of public events, workshops and talks, which along with grants and donations help to support our work.
‘Gardening is unique amongst the creative therapies in drawing on the power of nature’s growth and in the extent to which it brings together the emotional, physical, social, vocational and spiritual aspects of life.
Some of the benefits of gardening derive from the focus on caring for plants, others from the direct influence of green nature on our nervous systems. The safe green space of a garden is calming which reduces stress and helps promote human connection.’
— Sue Stuart-Smith
2026 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Sir Francis Bacon, one of history’s greatest philosophers, scientists, and statesmen. As his home and final resting place, St Albans will be the focal point for Bacon400 global commemorations, featuring a wide programme of lectures, exhibitions, and community activities that celebrate his enduring legacy.
Join us for an unmissable evening in The Apple House, with architectural and garden historian and award-winning author Paula Henderson as she celebrates Sir Francis Bacon’s passion for and expertise on plants. An evening which will appeal to gardeners, garden designers, history lovers and anyone with a passion for plants and gardens.
This event is run in association with Hertfordshire Gardens Trust and as part of the Bacon400 celebrations.
Support Us
The benefits of green spaces and connecting to nature are increasingly recognised, yet many people lack the opportunity to interact with the natural world. The Serge Hill Project provides a vital resource for those who might otherwise have little access to nature and gardening.
Within the one acre site, in addition to The Plant Library and The Apple House, there are vegetable beds, plots for schools and therapeutic groups, a garden shelter and a pond. Regardless of age or prior knowledge of gardening, our participants and visitors can all experience the mental, physical and social benefits of time spent in close proximity to nature
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‘Come forth into the light of things
Let nature be your teacher’
William Wordsworth
Join us for a day in the Apple House and gardens surrounding the Serge Hill Project, for our first nature-writing workshop. The workshop will be led by two writers: Nic Wilson, Guardian country diarist and author of the nature memoir, Land Beneath The Waves, and Sue Stuart-Smith, psychotherapist, co-founder of the Serge Hill Project and author of the Sunday Times bestseller, The Well Gardened Mind.
Aimed at beginners as well as developing writers, this is a creative day for anyone who has ever felt moved by the wonders of the natural world and had a desire to capture it more deeply; whether it’s wanting to learn more about flowers and trees in your local park or reflect on feelings stirred up by birdsong in the early days of Spring.
This inspiring workshop will focus on engaging with the natural world through writing exercises and techniques, including honing powers of observation, playing with words, reflective journal keeping, navigating inner landscapes, sensory explorations and scientific research.
With guidance from two exemplary writers, the day will help empower new and emerging writers to have the confidence to create and develop their own work. Everyone will finish the day with several short pieces and a range of ideas about how their ideas might be developed into longer piece of writing.
The workshop also includes a reading list, refreshments, a home cooked vegetarian lunch and chance to explore Tom Stuart-Smith’s renowned Plant Library of over 2000 varieties of perennials and bulbs.