Eden at the RHS Chelsea Flower show 2009 - The Key garden

Use the video player above to follow the story of the Key garden from initial planning all the way to the Chelsea Flower Show itself.

The Key garden wins silver at the Chelsea Flower Show

Homeless and disadvantaged people and prisoners around the country had cause to celebrate on Tuesday May 19 2009 when The Key garden won silver at the Chelsea Flower Show. The garden has been created by around 200 volunteers from across the country, most of whom are currently using homelessness services. People in six prisons have also joined in with the growing and planting. Rob Greenhill, a volunteer and service user at Watford New Hope Trust, said today: "It's been a joy to produce the plants and see them integrated in such a beautiful display. The experience has improved my self esteem and I hope will help me gain regular work and stable accommodation."

The Key is the name of the Eden Project’s unique show garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden is the product of a unique and ambitious collaboration between the Homes and Communities Agency, Communities and Local Government, Eden Project and Homeless Link.

It was designed by Paul Stone of the Eden Project, who already has a clutch of Chelsea gold medals under his belt.

Homeless people and prisoners around the country grewing most of the required stock of 10,000 plants.

Paul Stone, who is working on the design with the charity Architecture sans Frontières-UK, says: “The idea behind the garden is that it echoes the life journeys that people are making. It is a symbol of being locked up - whether in prison or just by a lack of opportunity - but also a means of opening doors and being released." He added: “The Key is a catalyst for long-term change and ongoing work, by increasing employment prospects for the participants who have gained new life skills and training through their involvement in the project.”

You can also read about the experiences of those building the garden on the Key Garden blog or see photos of the garden taking shape in our Key garden photo gallery.

Chelsea and Beyond

After the show, a small part of the garden will return to the Eden Project, whilst other sections will be distributed to various homelessness organisations across England.

Eden is committed to a continuing effort through its Growing for Life and Great Day Out programmes.

Great Day Out is a programme where Eden hosts small group visits from agencies who support some of the most damaged and hard to reach people in our community. By providing inspirational, neutral ground we
help to break cycles of hopelessness, abuse and exclusion. The result has been better than imagined, with fundamental changes taking place in the most unexpected ways.

Growing for Life takes the simple proposition that prisoners growing food in prisons has a marked benefit on health, behaviour and outlook. It reinforces this by working with Cisco to provide learning in prisons (in
horticulture, enterprise, life skills, computing) and a network of social businesses ‘outside the walls’ to offer extended learning, opportunities and jobs.

Download PDF of full planting list for The Key garden