Poole | Posted on March 19th, 2026 | return to news

Poole nursery marks silver anniversary with free gifts

Cherry Tree Nursery is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special day on 28 March, with free gifts, cakes and music.

Cherry Tree Nursery is celebrating 25 years of bloomin’ achievements.

The ‘little garden centre with a big heart’, run by the charity Plants and Minds, supports adults with life-impacting mental health conditions – known as team members – enhancing wellbeing via its highly successful horticultural therapy programme.

The first 50 customers visiting the nursery at 75 Kingland Road, Poole, on 28 March will receive a free gardening gift, while home-made birthday cakes will be served throughout the day. There will also be live music.

Raffle prizes will be up for grabs, and bargain-loving gardeners will be able to enjoy exclusive plant promotions.

Andy Verreck, manager, said: “On behalf of Plants and Minds, I would like to thank our team members, colleagues, Volunteer Friends, customers and supporters for making Chestnut the success it is today.

“From a seedling of a project to a state-of-the-art charitable garden centre, Chestnut has evolved into a thriving community for adults with mental health challenges – and the first port of call for gardeners seeking quality plants and gardening accessories. The nursery is bursting at the seams with springtime colour, and we will have treats galore in store for customers on 28 March.”

The day will also see the launch of Chestnut’s Big 25 Challenge, an appeal to raise funds to improve facilities on-site for adults with mental health challenges. Including sponsored running, baking, walking, workout and reading challenges, every £25 raised will help Chestnut to grow.

Visit https://buytickets.at/plantsandminds to find out more.

All funds raised will help Chestnut to restore its team members’ wellbeing, reduce isolation, gain new skills and create opportunities for people to rebuild confidence in a safe, supportive, friendly and non-judgemental environment.

Chestnut Nursery first opened on the former Poole Council Nursery site on the edge of Poole Park in 2001. It has flourished into a horticultural haven that’s famed for home-grown plants that are lovingly nurtured on-site by team members, as well as unusual exotics.

Since the site was redeveloped in 2019, the number of team members who have successfully progressed into paid employment has increased by 300 per cent, while sales have risen by 150 per cent, securing the future of a project that had previously been financially unviable.

Chestnut Nursery can be found at 75 Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1TN.

Visit www.chestnutnursery.org.uk to find out more or call the nursery on 01202 685999.