A relaxing visit to the Human Nature Garden in Horsham Park

Horsham Park, an asset to the town. Busy on any sunny day, full of children playing, teens playing frisbee, hanging out or enjoying the well-used skate park, and families in the popular Pavilion’s outdoor pool. That’s all great if you want ACTIVE, but what if you want to be still, relax in peace, or enjoy a quiet picnic with the kids away from the bustle, without the risk of getting hit by a ball or your head taken off by a low flying Kite?

This could be the place for you, tucked on the southern edge of Horsham Park next to the tennis courts and ten pin bowling alley is the Human Nature Garden, a small area set aside from the main park, an area for quiet contemplation which has been beautifully landscaped and planted. Completed in 2011, it was built with funding from Horsham in bloom the national lottery and local business including Novartis.

The Garden has three distinct areas of plants, those used in medicine, cosmetics as well as music and sport, each has some really useful information boards. Some of the plants you will enjoy – rhubarb, strawberries, goji berries, liquorice, lavender, bamboo and borage, there is also some wheat and barley as well as many more.

As well as the sights, smells and textures from the planting there are some large grassed areas with plenty of enclosed space to play hide and seek, and let the toddlers have a run around.

The Garden has a small stage and gentle sloping grassed amphitheatre for free summer concerts, although they reserve the right to close it for private events). Over the last year they have had acoustic sessions, comedians and giant gorillas entertaining the kids (not real ones!).

It’s a good place to have a quiet picnic with your kids, you can race up and down the slope of the amphitheatre  play peek a boo amongst the bamboo, go for a ride on the carved wooden sheep overseen by the carved wooden Shepard sculpted from solid wood by Robert Jakes.

If you have never been before go check it out, it’s refreshing.