The Happy Place
Garden Project
A welcoming gardening community where local people
share knowledge, plants, ideas and friendship.
Grow your garden
Grow your confidence
Grow together
Share
Plants
Seeds
Ideas
Enjoy
Gardens
Growing
Learning
Connect
Gardeners
Neighbours
New friends
What is the Happy Place Garden Project?
We are a group of local gardeners in East Sussex who meet once a month for a coffee and a chat. We are not a membership group. You don't 'join', you just come along when it suits you. There's no fee, just a donation to cover the cost of coffee and cake.
​
You might be an experienced gardener, willing to share your knowledge, or a complete beginner feeling overwhelmed at the thought of getting started. Or you might just like the idea of meeting with people in the local area who share your passion for gardening.
​
We bring questions, find answers, share our knowledge, show off our successes and moan about our failures. We share plants and seeds. We learn from each other and go away inspired to try something new.
​
Everyone is welcome, whether you've never planted a seed or have been gardening for years. ​​​
Future Plans & Events
Our monthly coffee mornings are generally on the first Saturday of the month at 10am.
​
Michele Duke hosts the gathering at her home in St Leonards on Sea but we are always happy to allow someone else to host at their home / garden.
There is no fee, just a donation for coffee & cake.
​
Next Meeting
Saturday 7th November 2026 10am - 12pm
Location: St Leonards on Sea - contact Michele for address.
Meet Michele
Hi, I’m Michele, your host at the Happy Place Garden Project.​
My gardening journey began in my own backyard, where I created a garden from scratch while raising my family. I knew absolutely nothing about gardening or plants, but I asked my friends for help, saw what my neighbours grew, read lots of books and somehow things grew. I made loads of mistakes, learned to accept that I couldn't control nature, and finally became totally obsessed.
When the family grew and I left the corporate world I was able to devote more time to my two passions - healthy eating and gardening. I am now a qualified Nutrition Coach and Garden Coach, and I'm currently studying for the RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Plant Growth and Development. At last I'm beginning to understand what I've been doing wrong all these years!
The Happy Place Garden Project is all about connecting with others who share this passion for gardening in our local area. We learn from each other, get more confident, visit gardens, and share plants, seeds, produce and stories.
If you are interested in finding out more, drop me an email or connect with us on facebook and come along to a coffee morning soon. x