The Eden Project has 2 biomes, the tropical biome, which I wrote about in my previous post and the Mediterranean biome. Mediterranean refers to a particular climate rather than just the part of Europe and there are five places on Earth that share this type of climate: California, western Chile, South Africa, parts of southern and south western Australia and of course, the area around the Mediterranean sea. It’s the climate I would most like to live in but for those plants that survive in such places it can be a tough existence. Plants often have to cope with long periods without rain, high temperatures and an intensity of sunlight that would damage many plants. I would highly recommend reading Christina’s ‘My Hesperides Garden ‘ blog about the challenges of gardening and growing her own in her garden in Italy.
The plants that live in this climate though have evolved to cope with the conditions. Grey leaves, foliage packed with essential oils, hairy leaves, leaves that act as water stores, spines and waxy coatings are all ways these plant have adapted to prevent moisture loss and being eaten by animals in search of some much needed water themselves. Often the soil is thin, lacking organic matter and nutrients and yet for centuries countries with Mediterranean climates have been highly productive places for food production. Climate change and pressure on land and the environment though, are already having an impact on these areas and it’s these problems that Eden’s second biome highlights.
Buddha’s Hand Lemon
I thought it was fascinating that the ancient terraced olive groves that southern Europe is famous for support a rich diversity of animal and insect species. However, as economies change and the younger generation move to urban areas to live and work the old ways of food production struggle to continue, threatening theses ways of life, the local environment and species biodiversity.
The intensification of farming and urbanisation has impacted on parts of South Africa too, threatening incredibly important places such as the Fynbos and its mind-boggling 7,000 species of plants, 1,400 of which are rare or endangered.
Heather Jansch’s Cork Sculpture
I particular liked the cork pig sculptures of Heather Jansch highlighting the problem faced by the traditional farms in Portugal where cork is harvested for the wine trade. Screw top caps are replacing corks in the wine bottles we buy. The discovery that cork can taint the wine within the bottle may be important for producing better quality wine but the consequences for a particular habitat and way of life are devastating. The fields where cork oak trees grow are rich habitats for plants and animals. Cork is the bark of the tree and can be harvested without damaging it and so is sustainable. Farmers also keep pigs in the fields that feed on the acorns from the trees. But as demand for cork from the wine trade declines and young people are no longer interested in agriculture as a way to make a living, these amazing habitats are threatened.
The great thing about Eden is that they are putting their money where there mouth is, so to speak, with projects across the world educating and raising awareness. For instance, they send staff out to a college in South Africa where students can study horticultural, eco-tourism and conservation and the students have the opportunity to come over to Eden.
The Buddha’s hand lemon in the photo above was really bizarre with the ‘fingers’ dangling down a little like a hand but perhaps more like an octopus. Although I don’t think ‘octopus lemon’ sounds quite as good as Buddha’s hand lemon. Its peel is quite thick apparently, with only a little flesh and no juice. Used by the Chinese and Japanese to scent their rooms, it can also be used in cooking with the whole fruit being sliced, peel, pith and flesh, and used with fish or scattered in salads. I’m always amazed that there are so many plants out there that can be eaten that I’ve never come across before. We have a huge selection of fruits and vegetables available to us now in the UK either grown here or brought in but there are still more yet to be given the Delia or Jamie celebrity cook treatment so that we all dash off to the supermarket demanding they stock whatever is the next in-thing. Living in rural Wales it’s unlikely I’ll be able to find a Buddha’s hand lemon to try but I wonder if you can buy them at shops in London?
wellywoman 
Buddha’s hand is going to give me nightmares. 😉
Creepy isn’t it?
Brilliant post WW! Thank you too for the mention. So much I could say; I remember the cork sculptures and the cork oaks, I seen the trees just after they were stripped in Sardinia, where a huge amount of the island is devoted to their growth. It is definitely a habitat it would be dreadful to loose. I would love to see this biom again now that the plants have grown, it was all very small when I was there quite soon after Eden opened. It is said (although I find it hard to believe) that more plants occupy the Mediterranean climate than any other climate habitat on earth. Winters can be surprisingly cold in some areas so many exotics can’t be grown. Christina
Thanks. That’s ok. The whole place is looking much more established now. It’s lovely in the Med biome, especially when it’s chilly outside but warm inside. We know people in the south of France and I was surprised when they said they got frosts. It is often less the cold and more winter wet that kills plants. Speaking of which need to go and pot up some herbs to put into the cold frame.
I’m due another visit to Eden – it must be four years since I was there. And to be honest it was still a little ‘young’ and un-established. Diversity is truly astonishing isn’t it? The Med is amazing and then you go somewhere like Thailand or Sri Lanka and the fruit and veg for sale in the markets just blow your mind. D
We were there 2001, 2009 and then again this year and the difference even between now and even 3 years ago is incredible. I remember seeing a programme on Asian cooking and I hadn’t heard of most of the fruit and veg they were using which I thought was remarkable. I haven’t had the chance to travel much outside of Europe and that is why I love Eden so much. It gives me an idea of what is out there. One day I’d love to visit the rainforest in Costa Rica and then go to South Africa to see the amazing plant life there. WW
So glad you enjoyed your visit to the Eden Project, it is such an amazing place! There is so much we can learn from places like that, always something new each time we go, its one of our favourite places to take our visitors, I think they come away overwhelmed!
I loved it Pauline.
Enjoyed reading about the Mediterranean Dome WW. Not sure about London but maybe some of the Chinese food shops in larger cities might sell them. Will have a look next time I’m in Liverpool and will report back if I come across any 🙂
Thanks Anna. I’m sure they must be for sale somewhere in the UK. I look forward to hearing if you or anyone else comes across one.
Our mediterranean fynbos is tucked in a very exclusive little corner of South Africa, just the western Cape. And even our Porterville garden, down on the plain where the wheat fields are – is too hot for the fynbos, which prefers the cooler mountain slopes.
There were some gorgeous plants from the Cape in the biome. Hope to visit there one day.
I’ve never heard of Buddha’s Hand Lemon. There must be so many edible plants that I’ve never come across before. I should really make more of an effort to grow more unusual vegetables and fruit, but my family like traditional British food and aren’t adventurous at all, so it would just be a waste of time.
I hadn’t either. It’s good to try different things. Pasta used to be exotic when I was growing up and now it’s a staple of most people’s diets but some of the more unusual stuff doesn’t always taste that great. I’ve just dug up my yacon plant and I wouldn’t say it was the most appealing looking thing to eat. Hopefully I’ll survive the taste test!
perfect posting as usual WW. Despite having lived nearly in the shadow of these domes for a long time – I never got to visit. Now they’re 250 miles away, there is a magnetic attraction. One day.. I know that Tanya would be awe-inspired that such construction was possible.
This post is every bit as interesting, and informative as Part 1. If I ever come across those lemons I’ll let you know. xx