The Guardian’s Ian Tucker writes about our Places of Change garden. Read on for the full article!

“”The appeal of horticulture for me is that at the beginning you have a flat canvas, a barren bit of land that no one has got any interest in, but you get your heads together and create something,” says Lee Emery.

Emery, a 28-year-old homeless man, is explaining the appeal of getting involved in the Eden Project’s Place of Change garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. He is a resident at Look Ahead Housing and Care, a supported housing scheme, and is one of 45 homelessness organisations that are contributing to Eden’s second year at the world famous flower show in SW3.

According to Howard Jones, director of human networks at Eden, building people’s skills is at the heart of the Chelsea garden, which is financially supported by the government-funded Homes and Communities Agency, the Department of Communities and Local Government, and the London Employer Accord.

“When they asked if we wanted to come back, we decided we would if more people could benefit. By agreeing to let us turn an area that has never been used for the largest ever garden we are able to do that,” he says.

So what about winning a gold? “Winning the silver last year made me realise how much recognition means to people who have never been rewarded by anything in their lives, so it would be wonderful to win a gold, but that’s not the be-all and end-all of the project. It’s first and foremost a skills programme,” says Jones.

As Emery says: “This will look good on my CV, not many people get the privilege to design something at Chelsea.”

Last year’s garden, the Key, won a coveted silver medal. This year, the collaboration between the Cornwall-based Eden Project and homelessness umbrella group, Homeless Link, is creating Chelsea’s biggest ever show garden, which at nearly 600 sq metres is more than twice the size of a normal plot, and will feature up to 10,000 plants.

In addition to the 400 homeless people taking part in the project, 100 prisoners from eight jails are also involved, including prisoners who attend an Eden Growing for Life project at Occombe farm in Devon.

Contributions include residents of three services in Kent, run by housing and care provider Stonham, preparing foliage for A Planted Man – a 10ft-high figure who will be covered with various medicinal plants attached to the body parts they are used to treat. The Salvation Army’s Salisbury House in St Helens has been cultivating wild flowers for a meadow area in the Chelsea garden, and women at Stonham’s Hull Women’s Service have been growing plants and carving a totem pole sculpture.”

These distinct elements will be used in a design that demonstrates how horticulture is at the centre of our lives, from food and industry, to enterprise and teamwork, says Eden’s garden designer Paul Stone.

Stone believes that gardening reaches the parts that other activities have trouble reaching, such as building self-esteem and confidence in the people taking part.

“Having the opportunity to create new life is something we all aspire to, and that’s what you do with horticulture. It’s that god-like opportunity to plant a seed and see it grow into something nothing like that seed,” he says. “It’s also the opportunity to create a piece of art. And to enjoy the feeling of doing a good day’s work – and these guys don’t get that opportunity, if people won’t employ them.”

This year, 95% of the homeless participants will gain a qualification or certificate in subjects such as garden design, woodwork and volunteering, or in media skills such as video filming or web publishing by producing content for the garden’s blog and internet site.

(For a bit of fun, every Friday our Plant Records Manager, Chris Bisson, the guy who maintains all the recorded information on our plant collections, will do a regular blog slot where he recommends his favourite “plant records” – that is, songs that are in some way linked to a plant. (Do you see what we did there?) )

‘Blue Orchid’ – White Stripes (2005)

Soon we will see the arrival of the orchids! Dactylorhiza praetermissa, the Southern Marsh-orchid will be appearing in our Wild Cornwall Exhibit. This orchid is not uncommon in the South West in the early summer months, look in hedgerows, dune slacks and wet fields, they’ve even been spotted on golf courses. With spikes of beautiful deep pink flowers these really do kick the summer off in style!

In the UK we often think of Orchids as being rare, but on a global scale they are actually one of the biggest plant families containing around 22,000 species!

Blue Orchid is the first track by the White Stripes from their album ‘Get Behind Me Satan’ and according to Jack White is the song that saved the album.

The Southern Marsh-orchid is one of many beautiful flowering natives, what’s flowering around you at the moment?

Chris Bisson – Plant Records Manager – Eden Project

(For a bit of fun, every Friday our Plant Records Manager, Chris Bisson, the guy who maintains all the recorded information on our plant collections, will do a regular blog slot where he recommends his favourite “plant records” – that is, songs that are in some way linked to a plant. (Do you see what we did there?) )

‘Pineapple Princess’ – Annette Funicello (1960)

The Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is one of the tastiest Bromeliads around! They don’t grow on trees but grow on the ground! Sweet, sticky and scrumptious!

Annette Funicello was originally discovered in 1955 by Walt Disney, and went on to star in many of the amazing beach-based film classics of the 60’s including ‘Beach Blanket Bingo’ and ‘Beach Party’

Hanging out on the beach and eating pineapples sounds like a cracking combination to me!

Have a great weekend!

Chris Bisson – Plant Records Manager – Eden Project

(For a bit of fun, every Friday our Plant Records Manager, Chris Bisson, the guy who maintains all the recorded information on our plant collections, will do a regular blog slot where he recommends his favourite “plant records” – that is, songs that are in some way linked to a plant. (Do you see what we did there?) )

‘Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush’ – Traffic (1969)

The Mulberry (Morus nigra) is a slow growing tree that produces scrumptious fruit which is used in wines, tarts and jams.

Traffic were a UK group best known for the 1960s psychedelic track ‘Hole in My Shoe’. Founder member Steve Winwood had a sizeable 1982 hit with ‘Valerie’ which was heavily sampled by Eric Prydz for the even more successful dance track ‘Call On Me’, you know, the one with that aerobics video.

We have Mulberry Trees growing in our Forest Garden at the Entrance to Eden and by the Core Building.

Chris Bisson – Plant Records Manager – Eden Project

A FREE one day course  held at Eden on Thursday 6 May
9:45am (for a 10:00am start) to 4:30pm

 Learn new project planning skills and refresh existing skills in this highly interactive course.  Making it Happen looks at how to successfully run a community energy project from start to finish.  You will take part in hands-on practical exercises throughout the day to help you come up with new ideas, plan, implement and fund your project.  This is an ideal opportunity to share ideas and expertise with energy professionals and representatives from the community and voluntary sector. 

 Contents of the day

• Introduction to Green Communities
• About the energy world quiz
• Getting your project started
• Researching the community
• Setting aims and objectives for your project
• Making your project work
• Funding your project
• Completing your project

 What you will learn:

• How Green Communities works – what it can do for you
• What makes a successful community based energy project
• How to get started, idea development, research and planning required
• Factors influencing success and failure, and how to keep your project going
• How to raise interest in your project
• Ways of working with potential project partners
• Tips and ideas for applying for funding

 Who should come:

• Community representatives who want to work with energy professionals to develop sustainable energy projects
• Energy professionals who are interested in working within the community to promote sustainable energy
• Representatives from organisations who could offer support to community based sustainable energy projects
• Groups concerned with helping the environment, saving energy and helping people save money on their fuel bills

 For more information and a booking form, email Benedict Cantatore bcantatore@edenproject.com. Booking deadline  is Monday 3 May and places will be allocated on a  first come, first served basis.

Thousands of Gardeners’ World Magazine readers  have been voting to choose their favourites from a list of the gardens taking part in this years Gardens to Visit Guide. We were thrilled to come top of the poll to find
the best day out for kids and best garden for afternoon tea
in the South West.

(For a bit of fun, every Friday our Plant Records Manager, Chris Bisson, the guy who maintains all the recorded information on our plant collections, will do a regular blog slot where he recommends his favourite “plant records” – that is, songs that are in some way linked to a plant. (Do you see what we did there?) )

‘Dust My Broom’ – Elmore James (1951)

Broom or Cytisus is a beautiful shrub, with golden yellow flowers and stems that look devoid of leaves. As a member of the Legume Family this plants seed pods can be heard popping in the summer, but should be putting on a splendid flower show in the next few months.

Elmore James or The King of the Slide Guitar as he was also known, is a legend in his own right influencing masses of modern day guitarists the world over. Dust My Broom was his first ever single released in 1951.

Enjoy the weekend!

Chris Bisson – Plant Records Manager – Eden Project

The Log is made from sustainably sourced oak, hand crafted by Touchwood Enterprises into a beautiful, sculptural play structure that almost looks like a Hobbit house! It’s been sand blasted to give it a ‘lizard-like’ skin texture which acts like an anti-slip surface if you were to climb over it. It weighs approximately 2.5 tonnes, has 3 windows and a small shingle roof.
Come and try it out for yourselves-you’ll find it on the grassy area behind the Core.

(For a bit of fun, every Friday our Plant Records Manager, Chris Bisson, the guy who maintains all the recorded information on our plant collections, will do a regular blog slot where he recommends his favourite “plant records” – that is, songs that are in some way linked to a plant. (Do you see what we did there?) )

‘Strawberry Fields’ – The Beatles (1967)

Garden strawberries (cultivars of Fragaria x ananassa) originated in France in 1740 when South American and North American strawberry plants were crossed. Commercial cultivation of the plants with large, sweet fruit soon replaced the woodland strawberry (Fragaria Vesca). It’s still a treat to find the small, tangy fruit along hedgerows, meadows and woodland edges. Roll on summer…

The subject of this John Lennon-penned psychedelic classic, as if you don’t know already, was the Salvation Army’s Strawberry Field children’s home situated near his childhood home in Woolton, Liverpool.

Special thanks to Simon for choosing this one!

Chris Bisson – Plant Records Manager – Eden Project

The new Big Lunch website is up and running! Pay a visit and find out why you should take part, all the good stuff you’ll get out of it, what happened last year, and the history of the Big Lunch so far…