Balance in life is so important for both health and happiness and after the high octane, often exhausting festive season, now  is the perfect time to rest, reset and be kind to ourselves.

If we can learn how to recognise the signs of low grade, chronic stress we can begin to manage it, take the matter into our own hands and restore balance in both our body and mind, to retune our engine. 

This ritual switches off the body's stress response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system through the powerful combination of diaphragmatic conscious breathing, scent, nature and positive thought training.

The effects of conscious diaphragmatic breathing, scent and nature on our wellbeing are profound, empowering and well established in scientific principals – switching off your stress response and harnessing your body’s innate ability to heal itself.

We are always delighted to welcome Rose to Thyme. She is a functional medicine practitioner working with clients around the globe to enhance their wellbeing.

A simply dressed plate of seasonal leaves picked that morning is a delight to all senses, but it’s important to remember just how much work goes into producing what seems at first to be a very simple offering.

The brain and gut are intimately connected through a complex system of nerves called the autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ stress response and the para sympathetic (the vagus nerve) responsible for ‘rest & digest’ calming and quietening the body. 

To kick off the Christmas season at Thyme, Diana will be at Thyme on December 1st talking to food editor, Molly Tait-Hyland about revisiting this timeless classic, the original inspiration, the travel then and now and learnings after 2 decades of inspiring food writing.

The tomato, although appearing in savoury dishes on our plates and thought of as a vegetable, is actually a fruit: the pulp being the fruit together with the seeds, making it a berry. 

We are delighted to partner with Hadeda this festive season, with an African themed Christmas at Thyme telling the story of our 'Golden Thread' that links the wild spaces at Thyme to those of sub-Saharan Africa.

The exhibition documents Jemma’s recent trip to Kenya as an ambassador for Tusk.  The title, The Golden Thread, is inspired by Caryn Hibbert’s (founder and creative director of Thyme), observations and writing on the migratory birdlife in the Water Meadow at Thyme, which travel between sub-Sahara Africa and the meadows here at Thyme, making vital connections between continents.

Art for Charity Collective (ACC) is a platform for artists to showcase their work, connect with each other and potential buyers, all the while contributing to charitable causes. Founded by landscape artist Lucy Kent and Flea Chipchase; their partnership seeks to support the artistic community whilst always considering and giving back to charities in need.

“Tusk has enjoyed a special relationship with Thyme ever since its opening. From the moment I set foot within the grounds of this amazing place and had the pleasure of meeting its founder, Caryn Hibbert, it was clear that Africa held a special place in her heart and she is rightly proud of the conservation work Thyme is undertaking”.

- Charlie Mayhew OBE, Founder and CEO of Tusk

Returning from any walk around the water meadows at Thyme these days, now involves the ritual of removing seeds and burrs from your trousers, sleeves and bootlaces. Although not perhaps the main target of this seed dispersal mechanism, we end up collecting many seed heads and burrs as we walk through the long grass and dense vegetation.

This October at Thyme, we welcome gardener, podcast host, environmental campaigner and French and Saunders enthusiast; Arthur Parkinson.

This autumn see’s Arthur’s fourth book published ‘Planting a Paradise’. It  follows on from his best seller,  ‘The Flower Yard’  in 2021, with a returning focus to pollinators and container gardening.