Old man's beard, or 'Traveller's Joy', is a winter spectacle with its feathery seed heads adorning our hedgerows. These seemingly delicate structures are vital for the cold-season ecosystem. Birds use the fluff for nests, insects find shelter inside, and the seeds support winter wildlife. 🍃

As December approaches, we're creating spaces for insects and small mammals to shelter this winter. Local wildlife can use old foliage and perennial plants, which we'll keep until spring. Additionally, we provide habitats like bug hotels and log piles for a safe winter haven. ❄️🌿🦔

One of our volunteers has been gathering our seasoned wood ready to make biochar for our vegetable beds and hugelkultur.🌱

Are you a gingerbread fiend? A chocolate orange fanatic? 🍊🍫 Or maybe you just can’t resist a splash of Baileys? 😉 Cosy up this winter with our luxury hot chocolates at The Pines Tea Room - because sometimes, a simple cuppa just won’t cut it. ☕✨ Open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am - 3pm

Last week, we launched 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 - inviting local people and groups an opportunity to host their event at our award-winning eco-venue, The Pines Calyx, for FREE. 📩 Find out more or get in touch: baytrust.org.uk/pines-community-initiative/ | [email protected]

Join us in the cosy setting of The Pines Tea Room for 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 🎄✨ We hope you can join us for this year’s dinners on: 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟓𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡, and 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 🎁 Call us on 01304 853173 or drop in to the Tea Room to book yours! ❄️☕

Did you know? The Pines Garden is owned and cared for by The Bay Trust, a local environmental education charity, and that so much of what we do is possible thanks to our wonderful volunteers! 💚 If you’d like to get your hands in the soil and join our friendly team, we’d love to hear from you! 🌱

The ivy along our road is absolutely humming with late-season pollinators 🐝🌱 Ivy flowers, though subtle to our eyes, provide a great source of nutrition late in the year for our local pollinators. You only have to glance at an ivy bush right now to see just how vital this autumn feast is!

Autumn colours in The Pines Garden... 🍂 Why not come down and see them for yourself this week? Open: Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-3pm. Garden entry by donation. Dogs on leads welcome. 🌱 #thepinesgarden #autumn #kentautumn #stmargaretsbay

There's really no time of year that you won't find us growing veg in The Pines Garden! We're very proud of our produce, grown using permaculture techniques and years of experience from our gardening team 🌱 Fresh veg all year round! #growyourown #vegetablegarden

Make the most of what the season has to offer this weekend in #ThePinesGarden and Tea Room. 🍂 Catch the autumn leaves and late blooming flowers in the garden, and enjoy light lunches, Sunday roast, teas, coffees and cakes in The Pines Tea Room. ☕🍰 Open 10am -3pm all weekend. 🌱

Our volunteers have been hard at work the past couple of weeks getting the #hugelkultur ready for another year of growing. They've cleared the old growth and started laying down our compost - enriching the soil with last year's vegetable goodness, ready for another year of growing! 🌱

Frequent visitor and friend of The Pines Garden, David Todd, spotted and photographed these birds in the garden earlier this year. What wonderful snapshots of the local birdlife here in our garden - our huge thanks to David for sharing these photos with us. 💚🌱 🦅

Earlier this year we welcomed #ecocreativesart to #ThePinesCalyx for series of watercolour workshops that were a hit with local watercolour-lovers. And now - by popular demand - she's back! 🔗 Go to ecocreativesart.com or email [email protected] to find out more and book your place.

Now that the clocks have gone back and we're all enjoying that extra hour in bed... we have changed over to our winter opening hours. New opening times below 🌱 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀: 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 + 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 Wed: 10am - 3pm Thur: 10am - 3pm Fri: 10am - 3pm Sat 10am - 3pm Sun: 10am - 3pm

Check out our new dead hedge bordering the mini-meadow-to-be in the Generation Restoration Garden. This dead hedge offers essential shelter and nesting for birds, insects, and small mammals. It also recycles natural materials, enriches the soil & reducing green waste. We are thrilled with it! 🌱

Where would we be without our garden staff and volunteers?! Every week they come to #ThePinesGarden with the skills, energy and enthusiasm that makes all the difference. And the best part? They're really fun to work with! 🌱

🌿 We’re recruiting! The Bay Trust is seeking two passionate individuals to join our Board of Trustees - and help shape a sustainable future. 🔗 Learn more: [link in bio] or visit baytrust.org.uk/opportunities/new-trustees-wanted/

We're looking forward to welcoming #ecocreativesart back to The Pines Calyx for some wonderful creative workshops this November! Got to ecocreativesart.com or email [email protected] to find out more and book your place 🌿🌺

It's that time of year again... 🎄🌟 Join us for your favourite festive treat in the Pines Tea Room – Christmas dinner with all the trimmings! Call us on 01304 853173 or DM us to find out more.

We had a fantastic day at the East Kent Schools Together's annual Big Explore, welcoming 60 pupils and teachers from Kent to #ThePinesGarden. They engaged in art, music, and medicine-making - and did a great job! Huge thanks to the pupils, staff, and facilitators for a wonderful day 🌱

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was perfect weather for mowing and tidying up the green roof of our eco venue, The Pines Calyx. Thankfully that's done and dusted, so we can make the most of today's wind and rain to get to work on some indoor jobs! 🌱

Repost: These beautiful photos were taken by a recent visitor to our garden, Willemina Venema. We liked them so much we thought we'd share them with you 🌱

The Pines Tea Room is looking for a 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 to join our friendly team in St Margaret’s Bay. If you love creating fresh, seasonal dishes (including plant-based!) and want to work in a unique setting surrounded by nature, we’d love to hear from you 👉🔗 baytrust.org.uk/careers/

We've been doing some seasonal tidying lately - leaving some areas alone for wintering wildlife, while clearing others to reveal a little more of the garden's character. Last week it was the pond. This week we've uncovered a nice little bit of geology near the Calyx 🌱

Sunday roast with all the trimmings? Don't mind if we do! Call us on 01304 853173 to book a table today! Serving 12am - 4pm 🌱

Autumn days in The Pines Garden 🍂☀ Open to the public: Wednesdays - Sunday, 10am - 4pm.

How a trip up to London shines a light on our roots... These photos are from Cleary Garden in the City of London - named after "Flowering" Fred Cleary, a pioneer in creating public green spaces and the founder of The Bay Trust, our environmental educational charity on the Kent Coast.

We are hiring! The Pines Tea Room seeks an experienced cook to join their friendly team. For more details, DM us or go to:

One of the perks of Autumn: the return of the Sunday Roast. Roasts are back in The Pines Tea Room from this weekend. Call 01304 853173 to book your table. 🍂

Hats off to our new volunteer, who's jumped straight in the deep end for a spot of pond-based pruning 👏🦆 We're not sure how the fish feel about it all...

Getting ready for October in The Pines Garden. Step one: a lovely pumpkin harvest with our volunteers! 🎃🍂

With 6 Acres of sustainably managed gardens, full of secrets and surprises, and a cosy traditional tearoom serving light lunches and hot drinks - we've got Autumn covered in The Pines Garden 🌳🍂☀

🍴We’re on the lookout for a 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸 to join us at The Pines Tea Room. If you’ve got a passion for cooking with fresh, seasonal produce (some grown right here in our gardens!) and enjoy being part of a supportive team, this could be the role for you. Find out more👉 🔗

It feels like September brought its change rapidly on the heels of this year's hot Summer 🍂🌿. But even as we button up against the crisp air and wet weather, we're still enjoying moments of natural beauty in The Pines Garden. 🌧️🍁 #TheBayTrust #PinesGarden #AutumnInKent

What have we been up to in the Pines Garden this week? A little hedge-trimming, and enjoying our grape harvest! 😋🍇 Great work team! 🌱

🌿 𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠!🌿 The Pines Tea Room is looking for a 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤 to join our friendly team in St Margaret’s Bay. If you love creating fresh, seasonal dishes (including plant-based!) and want to work in a unique setting surrounded by nature, we’d love to hear from you 👉🔗

𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄: 𝐓𝐞𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 due to roadworks. The garden will be open as usual (10am-4pm) and is accessible via the public footpath from the village (please note - this path has a lot of steps!) The Tea Room will be open as usual from Thursday. 🌱

Spotted in The Pines Garden: Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding) & Amaranthus cruentus (prince’s feather) thrive in poor soils and dry conditions, support pollinators, and contribute to biodiversity. They are also fully edible, rich in vitamins & minerals, and a high-protein, gluten-free grain!

Last month we were thrilled to host our first wedding in The Pines Calyx in years, beautifully organised by our friends at Boutique Weddings Kent. ✨ And what a day it was! ☀️ From garden games to a stunning reception in our eco-venue, The Calyx. Congrats to the happy couple, Natasha and James!

Please note that due to road closures next week, The Pines Tea Room will be closed on Wednesday 17th Sept. The Garden will be open as usual, and the Tea Room will be open Thursday-Sunday, 10am-4pm. We will return to normal opening hours the following week. 🌱

Even as summer ends, the garden continues to thrive. 🌸🐝 Bees and butterflies enjoy late-blooming flowers, gathering nourishment before winter. At the Pines Garden, our planting supports a regenerative plan to supply seasonal produce for our tea room, sustain wildlife & restore balance 🌿💚

There was a yoga class on the #Calyx terrace this AM, a wedding here last Saturday, chats on our next #biodiversity surveys & #permaculture training, customers aplenty in the tea room (including some from France today) etc. across this week. @thebaytrust.bsky.social #PinesGarden open as per below…

We don't want to get too excited, but the forecast is looking promising for the weekend. We're all for embracing the seasons in all their glory at The Bay Trust, but that doesn't mean we won't welcome a bit of September sunshine! ☀ The Pines Garden, Open: Weds-Sun, 10am-4pm

Wishing all the best to pupils and teachers for the start of the school term! Whether it's starting a new school simply moving up a year, here's to this exciting new chapter and all its potential! 📷 Memories from the St Mary’s Primary School art exhibition held at the Pines Calyx last term✨

As we step into a new month, we're getting ready for a new set of tasks in the garden. September is the perfect time to: 🌼 Collect seeds 🍏 Harvest and share fruit & veg 🍂 Leave some summer growth for wildlife 🐝 Plant late-flowering pollinator-friendly plants to support bees before winter

We’re reflecting on a joyful summer at The Pines Garden 🌿☀️. We welcomed lovely visitors, celebrated birthdays & a bridal shower, hosted the #CoatofHopes & magical tales with @bernadetterussell, plus worked with brilliant volunteers & a fab work experience student 🙌. Thanks to everyone who joined us!

Need a moment of calm? Welcome to the mindful labyrinth at #ThePinesGarden 🌱🌼 Open Wednesday - Sunday 10am - 4pm 📍St Margaret's Bay - just 2 minutes walk from the beach Free entry (though donations are always appreciated!) 🐶 Dogs on leads welcome

Make the most of the final week of the summer holidays with an adventure in nature! 🌱🐞 From buzzing bees to shady trees, The Pines Garden is alive with discoveries waiting to be made. Let’s inspire the next generation to love, protect, and celebrate our local environment here in the South East. 💚🌍

Some stunning photos of Pines Garden and St Margaret's Bay from a recent visitor- here's to sunny Summer days! We're glad to see that some folks are making the most of them by exploring our little corner of #Kent 🌞🌱