I’m Jenny – long time gardener, forest school practitioner in training & founder of Piccolo Orto, which means ‘Little Vegetable Garden’.
“After seven years working as a gardener, developing allotments and market gardens, and more recently in outdoor education lead within primary school – teaching hands-on skills, and helping children thrive outside traditional classrooms, I’ve launched this project to bring my local community together through the joy of growing food and connecting with nature.
I’ve seen firsthand the transformational impact that working the soil, lighting a fire, or simply sitting in a forest can have, especially for children and adults who feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or overlooked.”
Our Mission
At Piccolo Orto Forest School & Garden, our mission is simple:
To cultivate community, confidence, and connection through nature, food, and forest learning.
We believe that getting outside, getting our hands in the soil, and working together can be powerful medicine—especially in a world where so many are feeling isolated, anxious, or digitally overwhelmed.
This project is designed to offer a safe, welcoming space for children and adults alike, where they can:
- Learn how to grow food using regenerative, no-dig methods
- Connect deeply with nature and the land around them
- Discover hands-on skills like whittling, weaving, foraging, and fire lighting
- Feel a sense of belonging, purpose, and peace
About the site
We are incredibly lucky to be based at Mount Carlees Farm, a certified organic farm and ecological project surrounded by stunning wildlife. The land here is alive with buzzards overhead, frogs and slow worms underfoot, deer in the distance, and red-list wildflowers blooming in the margins.
Because the site has organic certification, we grow in harmony with the land, using no-dig, chemical-free methods inspired by Charles Dowding (who even helped us get a garden into our local school!).
The garden and forest site together provide a unique opportunity: a place where the practical skills of growing food meet the holistic benefits of outdoor education.
A Day at Piccolo’s
Here’s what a day might look like at our site:
Morning
You arrive at the market garden and settle in with a cup of tea around the table. We talk through the day’s plan—maybe sowing salad leaves, building compost bays, or harvesting kale and chard for lunch.
Late Morning
We get stuck into the work—tending the soil, planting, weeding, harvesting. There’s laughter, learning, and muddy hands.
Lunchtime
We take our harvest and walk a few minutes into the woods. There, we gather fallen wood, light a fire, and boil water in the Kelly kettle. We eat and rest around the fire circle under the trees.
Afternoon
The forest becomes our classroom: whittling, den building, cooking on the fire, natural dyeing, storytelling, weaving, learning the names of plants and trees. We wind down feeling grounded, nourished, and calm.
“Harvest & Huddle” Sessions
We’re launching Harvest & Huddle sessions for children aged 3–16. These gentle, seasonal sessions will give young ones a space to explore, get muddy, and learn through doing. Perfect for homeschoolers, SEND learners, or anyone needing a little more nature in their lives.