Join Thriving with the Seasons's Community Today

Getting started

Thriving with the Seasons- Weekly hands on learning here in darwen on Thursdays . Our vision for this is those who cant make the thursdays will still be involved , share with us online or get involved in the other activities throughout the week and weekends.

Welcome to your seasonal growing journey

This little planner is here to help you get clear on what you’d love to grow, what space you’ve got, and how you want this project to support you.

Thriving with the Seasons is not just about vegetables. It’s about reconnecting with local, seasonal ways of living: growing food (even in small spaces), learning simple traditional skills, and finding a calmer rhythm through nervous system regulation and embodiment practice- more about that on the wellbeing section.

Take a few moments to answer the questions below and bring your ideas to your first session.

Dream big

What would you love to grow and why?

What vegetables, herbs, or fruits would you love to have in your pots, planters, yard, or community growing space. Think about what you actually enjoy eating, what might save you money, or what would feel exciting to harvest.
Are there any crops that have meaning for you or your family?
Something you grew up eating, something cultural, or a “my grandad used to grow this” kind of thing.
Would you like to try something traditional, heritage, or seasonal?
Older varieties, local favourites, or plants that connect you to the rhythms of spring, summer, autumn, winter.

Your Space

Get to Know Your Space

Where will you be growing

Where do you plan to grow? Back yard, balcony, window ledge, allotment, community plot, containers, grow bags, raised beds.
How much light does your space get?
Morning sun, afternoon sun, all day, or mostly shade.
Do you have easy access to water for watering?
Tap nearby, water butt, watering can access.
What’s your growing setup like right now?
Soil condition, pots/containers needed, raised bed, grow bags, compost situation.

Planning for Success

Making it realistic – so it actually happens!

How much time each week can you honestly give to growing?
Even a few short bursts can work if you keep it simple and seasonal.
What’s one thing you’re excited to learn in this project?
Growing basics, composting, pests, seed sowing, seasonal recipes, preserving, herbal teas, local traditions.
Any worries or barriers you want help with? No confidence, bad soil, not much space, pain/fatigue, motivation, not knowing where to start, fear of “doing it wrong”.

seeds cutting & supplies

What do you already have, and what could you share?

Where might you get seeds or plants from?
Swaps, community gardens, low-cost suppliers, saving seeds, sharing with others.
What basic tools do you already have access to?
Trowel, gloves, watering can, small pots, compost, labels. Suez recycling have offered to give us recycled tools- we will keep in touch with them.
Would you like to learn simple seed saving as part of the seasons?
So you can keep growing year after year, and pass knowledge on.

Your first steps

What will you do first?

What’s the first thing you’ll do to prepare your growing space?
Clearing, tidying, getting pots, compost, planning a tiny patch.
How will you keep track of what you plant and when?
Notebook, calendar, phone notes, a simple seasonal growing plan.
How do you want this project to make you feel?
More grounded, calmer, connected, proud, hopeful, capable, part of something.

Growing & harvesting

Harvesting onions

Pam shows how to recognise when onions are ready to lift and demonstrates harvesting them from the growing space, another simple seasonal skill that can be passed on and used at home.

Harvesting potatoes from the ground

Pam demonstrates how to lift potatoes carefully from the soil, showing the practical, hands-on side of growing and harvesting your own seasonal food.

Harvesting potatoes from a grow bag

Pam shows how to empty a potato grow bag and work through the compost to find the crop. A simple demonstration of how potatoes can be grown and harvested even when space is limited.

Re using compost

Pam shares a simple tip for what to do with compost once crops have been harvested, helping us think about how materials can be reused rather than wasted.

SEED SAVING

Pam demonstrates how seeds can be collected from mature plants and saved for future growing, a simple skill that helps keep traditional growing knowledge alive from one season to the next.

compost worms

Pam explains the role worms play in healthy compost and why they are so useful for breaking down organic matter and creating rich compost for the garden.

Broadbeans

Pam shows us broad bean plants at the end of their growing cycle and explains how to collect and save the beans for future planting, keeping the growing cycle going from one season to the next.

Dead heading

Pam demonstrates deadheading, removing spent flowers to help plants keep producing and flowering for longer. A simple but useful seasonal gardening skill.

Tomatoes

Pam shows how removing some of the lower and excess leaves can improve airflow and allow more sunlight to reach the fruit, helping tomatoes ripen as the season progresses.

Growing sweetcorn

Pam explains how sweetcorn is pollinated by the wind, how the cobs develop on the plant and some of the signs to look for as the corn begins to mature.