Wake Up Gardeners Retreat

Watering the flowers, tending to the compost

The Wake Up Gardeners Retreat is a nourishing gathering for Sangha builders and facilitators in the Plum Village tradition. Under the theme “Watering the flowers, tending to the compost,” the retreat invites us to cultivate joy, understanding, and mindfulness in themselves and in their communities.

Through guided practices, Dharma sharing, deep listening, and creative workshops, we will explore how to recognize and nurture the wholesome seeds in ourselves and others, while skillfully transforming difficulties into compost for growth.

This retreat offers a space to renew energy, strengthen the bonds of siblinghood, and deepen the art of building safe, inclusive, and joyful Wake Up Sanghas around the world.

We hope to see you in Upper Hamlet! 

With love and trust, 

Oomph (Organism for Optimising Many People’s Happiness aka European Wake Up CTC)

Register in Upper Hamlet (with the brothers)

Click here to view our updated payment and cancellation policy


Registration & Payment

Payment Structure 

For retreats from January 3, 2026 onwards, your contribution will be split into two payments:

  • Main payment to Bienvenue Aux Pruniers S.A.S. (BAP) for practical retreat aspects (food, accommodation, facilities, administration, taxes)
  • Monastery contribution to Congrégation Bouddhique Zen Village des Pruniers (CBZ) to support the monastic community

Your bank statement will show two charges, and you will receive two invoices.

Note: For retreats taking place in 2025 until January 3, 2026, retreat contributions are received by Communaute Bouddhique Zen du Village des Pruniers, the religious nonprofit 1901 association operating our activities from 1988-2025.

Payment Methods

Our online booking system accepts:

  • Credit card payments (worldwide)
  • European direct debit (SEPA) for European bank accounts

All payments are processed via the secure Stripe payment gateway. We do not store payment details. Due to strict French regulations, we cannot accept cash, cheques, or manual bank transfers for retreat payments.

Cancellation Policy

To ensure fair access for all, we have revised our cancellation policy to encourage participants to book a retreat place only when certain they can attend.

Cancellation by Participants

If you need to cancel:

  • 28+ days before arrival: Full refund minus €100 admin & cancellation fee
  • 14-27 days before arrival: 50% refund after deducting the €100 non-refundable admin fee
  • 13 days or less before arrival: No refunds possible

We strongly recommend obtaining travel insurance to cover retreat cancellation fees in case of unforeseen circumstances, including personal illness or family emergencies.

For those generously coming to Plum Village to help as a volunteer, the cancellation fee is €25 (to cover admin costs).

Cancellation by Plum Village

Plum Village reserves the right to cancel a retreat under any circumstances. If this occurs, you will receive a full refund of all payments made to us, including the admin fee.

Plum Village accepts no further liability beyond the retreat registration fee refund. We cannot be liable for funds spent on advance travel arrangements, such as flight tickets and visas. We strongly recommend obtaining travel insurance that covers this.



In the buttons below:

  • Indicate whether you are coming alone or with someone.
  • Next, select your gender identity
  • Then carefully review the information about the price tiers and choose the tier that applies to you. 
  • Once you’ve selected a tier, click the “See Availability” button at the bottom of the price section to view the accommodation options.


More information about coming to practice with us

/ Register

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What is Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh January 15, 2020

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