House and garden

Borders

52 reviews • Updated 4 months ago

A 1.3 acre garden, with orchard, vegetable and fruit garden, polytunnel, greenhouses, wildflower meadow, 3 ponds - one of them is a natural swimming pond, herbaceous and shrub areas, lawns, mature trees. The house is a converted farm steading, with ground source heat pump and solar panels. Insulated with sheep's wool. Lovely view to the Eildon hills in the West, and near the Cheviot hills for walking. We work as artists - ceramics, painting, design, and try to use our creativity in our approach to gardening and developing our surroundings. Our aim is to be self sufficient in vegetables - we achieve that some years. We need help in the vegetable garden - weeding, hoeing, cropping, storing. General maintenance tasks include cutting grass and edges, strimming, lifting and dividing plants in herbaceous borders, mulching. Springtime clearing and soil preparation and autumn harvesting and tidying. We prefer wwoofers to come for short stays of 1 - 2 weeks. Accommodation is in a shepherds hut overlooking the vegetable garden. It’s fully self contained off grid with a shower room, compost toilet , wood burner and small stove. It has USB Charging points and good 4 G reception. It is suitable for a single person or couple but please note it is a small double bed! Wwoofers can have breakfast there but other meals will be with us in the house. We can collect and return wwoofers to the nearest bus, Kelso or Jedburgh. There is an occasional bus to Morebattle (half mile) some have made it all the way here! We welcome last minute enquiries. Organic methods: No dig gardening, crop rotation, compost, green manure, mulching, companion planting, comfrey liquid feeding, ponds and wildlife areas/meadow. Certifications: we are not certified because we are just a large organic garden & not selling produce Current projects: This year we are formalising existing no dig beds with wooden surrounds, and making many new no dig areas. Internet access available

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Flower farming

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Seed saving or production

Bakery

Traditional crafts

Renewable energy production

Food justice / sovereignty

Methods or systems

No-till farming

Permaculture

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Cabin / Mobile-home

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Vegan

Length of stay

1 day (local)

Weekend

Less than a week

1-2 weeks

Helen

Member since 2012

Languages spoken: English, French, Spanish Response rate: 95% Response time: typically within 3 days

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

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Borders

There is an occasional bus to Morebattle from Kelso , but we can also pick up from Kelso or Jedburgh.

Reviews

Leya

France • November 2025

Staying at Helen and Paul’s was honestly amazing! Their house is absolutely beautiful, very cozy, there’s many things to do in the garden but the tasks are pretty fun! They both are lovely people and extremely respectful of your needs so you know you’ll be in a safe place! I definitely recommend :)

Lucas

Canada • October 2025

Staying at Paul and Helens was a delight! They were generous hosts who shared wonderfully cooked vegan meals. Their garden fresh food was a flavourful treat and it was a joy to learn from and help them in their garden; which was inspirational, and followed permaculture practice so beautifully. The accomodation was artfully considered, clean, and refreshing. Such a creative couple to meet and we're very grateful for their care.

NING

United Kingdom • September 2025

I had such a wonderful stay with Helen and Paul. The work hours were very reasonable, and they were always thoughtful and caring – they truly made me feel at home, just like a member of their family. The shepherd’s hut is lovely, nicely decorated, and very comfortable to stay in. The meals they provided were excellent, with high-quality organic food, fresh fruits, and vegetables. You can also try different types of work, which makes the experience interesting and rewarding. Both Helen and Paul are very interesting people to talk with, always happy to share stories about their life and the local neighborhood. I really appreciated the experience and would highly recommend staying with them!

Dalia

France • September 2025

My journey at the Steading was delightful. Helen and Paul are very kind and welcoming, I could share time and learned different knowledges with both of them. Music, books, life experiences with Paul, food tips, politics and gardening with Helen ;) The garden is big and beautiful and there are many flowers. The activities were different every day. The accommodation is in a Shepherds hut very comfy and cosy, allows privacy an a good sleep. Loved the vegan experience, the food was excellent. A great place share, learn, work and meet wonderful human beings.

Kim

Australia • June 2025

What a brilliant first experience to have as a Wwoofer! I felt welcomed and looked after as if I was part of the family. The shepherds hut was comfortable, beautifully decorated and set up with everything I needed. Expectations were clearly communicated. It was an absolute joy to stay here and work on this property. Loved every bit of it.

Amrei

Germany • June 2025

The time I spent at [Host] it was a beautiful and enriching experience. From the very beginning, I was warmly welcomed and felt completely comfortable during my nearly week-long stay. What fascinated me most was seeing what Helen and Paul have created with the [host]. Their garden is designed with so much love—a vibrant mix of vegetables, fruits, and blooming, fragrant flowers. There's a wonderful balance: the plants are allowed to flourish, while care is taken to ensure the garden doesn‘t become overwhelmed by too much wild growth. My main task was removing weeds to give the vegetable plants enough room to thrive. I tied up the tomato and cucumber plants and tidied a path. I also made elderflower syrup and got to press apple juice—and taste the fresh, delicious result right away. Paul and Helen were always happy to answer questions—about the garden and beyond. They were open, approachable, and easy to talk to. All in all, I gained a great insight into just how much work and dedication go into maintaining such a garden. Helen and Paul were thoughtful and always made sure I was doing well. The food was absolutely delicious—I really enjoyed our shared meals. The lovingly furnished Shepherd’s Hut, where I slept, was a wonderful place of retreat where I felt truly at ease. Thank you, Helen and Paul, for this lovely time!