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Mel describes herself as a "level one" baker, comfortable with brownies but "scared of bread". "It's the yeast. You live in the presence of something that's alive." Sue, on the other hand is "a natural". "For a lot of this series Sue has been in the home-economics kitchen, the nexus of the production. She made a very good batch of scones. And traybakes for the grand final party."

After months of filming and before taking a break for the summer, Mel has another commitment that is close to her heart. Next Sunday she will be appearing at Horatio's Garden Food and Plant Fair at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre at Salisbury Hospital.

"My link is very personal. A good friend at film school called Giles had an accident in Australia and ended up in the unit. We used to visit him and I got to know the staff and saw and I hate using this word but I'm going to 'the journey' he made. He's tetraplegic. But 20 years on he's married, with two lovely dogs."

Horatio's Garden has become a national charity, building therapy gardens at spinal centres in the UK. It is named after Horatio Chapple, who volunteered as a schoolboy with ambitions to go into medicine, his father being a consultant surgeon at the hospital. Horatio was killed by a polar bear while on a British Schools Exploring Society expedition to Norway in 2011, at the age of 17.

Horatio's legacy is the most beautiful garden, designed by the Chelsea gold medallist Cleve West. For bed-bound hospital patients, to be taken into a garden, says Mel, is "an important part of recovery, a godsend". Her friend Giles was outdoorsy and to see him being stuck inside in a bed was agony.

In terms of rehabilitation and therapeutic qualities, baking and gardening have a lot in common, Mel says. She supports the efforts of last year's Bake-Off finalist Brendan Lynch to take baking courses into care homes. Mel will next month open the Restore charity's Littlemore caf in Oxford, a venture for which mental health patients are encouraged to bake and learn catering skills to take into paid jobs.

Next Sunday, Horatio's Garden will host artisan food producers, with plants for sale, gifts and crafts. There will be traditional ciders from Bridge Farm, salt marsh lamb from the Thoroughly Wild Meat Co, and sushi from Dorset Sushi.

Mel is no stranger to farmers' markets. "My husband is a devotee of the West Ealing farmers' market. We became obsessed with the tomato guy my daughters thought he looked like Troy from High School Musical and would spend 20 on tomatoes." She's used the tomatoes in attempts to make pizza (a gentle introduction to yeast). "I'm on top of that," she says. Is it a Paul Hollywood recipe? "No," she adds, dropping her voice to a whisper, "it's a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall."

Horatio's Garden's Food and Plant Fair takes place at Salisbury District Hospital, SP2 8BJ on Sunday 23 June, from 11am-3pm: Horatio's Garden; email info@horatiosgarden.org.uk or call 07429 140918. Entry is free.

Mel Giedroyc will be opening the Restore cafe, at Littlemore Mental Health Centre, Oxford on 26 July (Restore).

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Great British Bake Off: plant hope and bake goodness