A Glorious Eden – the final bit

Tags

biome, Eden Project, hempcrete, Lost Gardens of Heligan, Tim Smit

Liquidambars at Eden

So I thought I’d finish my series of posts about my visit to the Eden Project with one about the outdoor space. The biomes are such spectacular creations that they do get most of the attention. The indoor space they provide is essential for any visitor attraction that needs to ride out the vagaries of the British weather but it is rather a shame to see Eden as only a wet weather destination, by-passing the planting outside as you make a bee-line indoors. When we first visited in 2001, only 2 months after the opening of the site, the external landscaping had only just been planted and, admittedly no one had come to see some trees and bushes, it was the rainforest and the world’s biggest conservatories that were the attraction. Over ten years later the outdoor biome as it’s known is coming into its own.

Lavendar balls

The team at Eden have really worked hard with the planting to create something that is beautiful, that inspires and which educates and tells a story along the way. I imagine the scale of planting and landscaping at Eden has brought its own unique problems and challenges. The nature of the bowl within which Eden sits and the sheer size of the site have required bold planting schemes. Thinking in threes, fives and sevens would never have worked here. Long lines of Liquidambars, some of the first trees to be turning at the start of autumn, looked like flames lining the paths. Vast plantings of Cotinus were likewise turning colour. Alongside one path was a large bank of Cornus, still in leaf on our visit, but you could imagine how dramatic the red, yellow and orange stems will look in winter. One slope was a mass of lavender. For our visit at the start of October they had been neatly trimmed into tidy balls which created an arresting sight but the thought of seeing and smelling it in full flower is already making me look at my diary to see if we can visit next summer.

For anyone who grows their own the area devoted to fruit and veg is a delight. I particularly liked the ideas for using height to grow more crops in a small space. There were hops and barley growing to illustrate the brewing industry. I’ve never seen hops grown, as they would be commercially; it’s incredible how tall they get. Although there was a ‘dwarf’ variety, which must have been 6ft-8ft tall which I quite like the idea of trying to grow. Not because I plan to make beer but because I love hops when they’re dried. You can apparently make sachets from the dried hops which you can then put under your pillow to induce restful sleep. Growing hops at the allotment would certainly be something a bit different. They are trialling varieties at Eden to see if there are any that can cope with the damp conditions prevalent in the Cornish climate.

Hemp fence enclosing hemp field

Hemp is an amazing crop and has yet to be fully exploited. It has numerous uses from clothing to the car industry, needs much less chemical input to grow it and it grows well in the UK. Hempcrete which is a mixture of hemp and lime is a more environmentally friendly option to concrete. Hemp is, of course, a variety of Cannabis.  The varieties grown industrially tend to be very fibrous and have low levels of the chemical compounds used for drugs but growing hemp as an agricultural crop requires a licence from the government and infrastructure in place to protect the crop. At Eden, because they are required to have a fence around the crop, they commissioned what I thought was a very stylish barrier using hemp ropes.

One of the areas I loved the most though was the recreation of an American prairie. Although it was fading into autumn the colours of the asters and rudbeckias against the blue sky and the gleaming biome were beautiful. Another reason to visit in summer. The sight of it in full flower must be spectacular. The team at Eden manage it by burning every spring, just as the Americans did when they created the first prairies to attract animals to the plains and make travelling across the vast areas of vegetation easier.

A bank of vegetables next to the cafe

For me, the genius of Eden is that it inspires. It takes difficult subjects such as climate change, peak oil, habitat loss, sustainability and feeding a growing planet and engages and educates. Bring these subjects up at a dinner party and you see eyes glazing over and yawns being stifled. But because at Eden they are practising what they preach you feel more receptive to the ideas. This is not some rich, jet-setting, 5 homes in different countries, pop star telling you to look after the planet. One of the main problems for governments across the world is popping the bubble of apathy that thinking about the environment seems to create. It’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed by the issues we face with regards to the future of the planet and what sort of quality of life future generations will have. It’s easy to think that recycling or giving up a car or growing your own aren’t worth it, can these little changes make any real difference? I think what Eden proves is yes they are worth it and that the snow ball effect of one change and then another combine. Supporting local businesses, becoming waste neutral, supporting prisoners and ex-offenders to learn horticultural skills and with plans to install their own geo-thermal energy plant Eden shows what is possible if we just change the way we think about how we do things.

For me, Tim Smit, the man who rediscovered the Lost Gardens of Heligan and breathed new life into them and who then had the vision to create Eden, is someone who doesn’t get enough credit for his achievements. I certainly wish those in power would pay more attention to the ideas and practices at Eden rather than being driven by the same old ideas to deal with problems. But before this turns into a political rant, and no one wants that on a Friday afternoon, I just want to say if you haven’t been to Eden, go, it’s amazing and if you already have, then go again as it never fails to excite and inspire.

For more information about Eden visit their excellent website. They now run a wide variety of horticulture courses ranging from hour long demonstrations to half and full day sessions. Perfect for combining with a visit if you’re in the area. I can also highly recommend the book Eden by Tim Smit, about the ideas and construction of the project.

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A Glorious Eden – Part 2

Tags

biome, buddha's hand lemon, cork farming, Eden Project, Fynbos

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?

A Glorious Eden – Part 1

Tags

biome, Cornwall, Eden Project, rainforest

I was quite keen on my recent holiday in Cornwall to have a complete break from gardening but the temptation to squeeze in a garden visit was just too hard to resist. The county is rightly famous for its gardens, from the woodland and spring gardens of Caerhays and Glendurgan to those able to grow exotic plants such as Tresco and St. Michael’s Mount. One of my favourite places though is the Eden Project. It’s a place that divides many; I know some who think it is a little too much like a theme park. I love it.

We visited Eden just 2 months after it had opened back in 2001 and it was a truly inspiring sight. The scale of the crater, once a china clay pit and the plant biomes took our breath away. Of course, it was all very new and the landscaping and planting was in its infancy but it was possible to see the genius behind the idea. Now some 11 years later the plants have grown and so too have the ideas and ambitions of the project.

Rainforest Biome

For me the tropical biome is the place I make a beeline for. It really does feel like you’re walking through a rainforest. OK, there are nice paths and no creepy crawlies but for the vast majority of us who will never get the opportunity to visit the real thing this is probably the closest we’ll ever get to the heat, humidity and tropical planting of this important and fascinating habitat.

Unknown beauty

Unlike a botanic garden, Eden doesn’t give all of the plants labels. Any information boards and labels focus on the key species that they want to point out to visitors, plants that we might already have some relationship with through food and drink and that are vital for creating a sustainable future for the planet. Sometimes it would have been nice to be able to find the name for a plant, like the stunner in the photo above but I think it’s a good decision to not have bits of plastic everywhere which I think would detract from the experience.

Education has always been at the core of the Eden Project. A visit isn’t just about admiring some pretty, exotic plants, it’s the opportunity to see coffee, pepper, rice, cashew nuts, bananas, and so much more, growing here in the UK. Humidity can be over 90% in the rainforest biome and my camera was struggling to cope, steaming up every time I took the lens cap came off. So apologies for some of the photos, well I suppose they convey some of the atmosphere.

50 metres up on the Rainforest Lookout

A new introduction to the biome is a lookout suspended 50 metres above the ground giving visitors a bird’s eye view of the rainforest. Neither of us are great with heights but I’d already expressed the intention to climb the 80 steps, that reached out over the giant palms, to the platform suspended from the ceiling. It didn’t look THAT high up as we made our way through tropical island, West African and South American vegetation. As the path climbs up the slopes within the biome the heat and humidity builds. I was still fairly confident as I set off towards the lookout. Wellyman had initially decided to stay behind but it wasn’t long before I was clinging onto the handrail as my legs turned to jelly. There was no denying that the view was spectacular but the swaying of the steps was really disconcerting. It didn’t help that some people were just strolling up there as if they were walking to the post box. By this point Wellyman had joined me, determined to at least try to get out to the main platform. We did, eventually, make it and Wellyman even managed to take photos. I, on the other hand, was a little too busy saying ‘oh my God’ over and over again too really appreciate a) the achievement and b) the scene below. I certainly couldn’t work in the canopy bubble, a contraption used in the rainforests by scientists to study the higher levels of the trees. Here at Eden it is used by staff when they need to prune or check for pests and diseases as it can reach the highest parts of the biome.

Canopy Bubble allows staff to look after the highest parts of the rainforest

It doesn’t feel a sterile place, as local bird and insect life have found their way inside. Some blackbirds had discovered the ripe papayas in a tree and had worked out how to get at the juicy, sweet flesh. And, as we were leaving, I spotted this out of the corner of my eye.

Now I’m no expert but I think it might have been a gecko. Not so sure how it has made its way here but it was still a treat to see.

For more information about the incredible Eden Project.

Gardening for Kids – The Campaign for School Gardens

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Alan Titchmarsh, Eden Project, RHS Campaign for School Gardening, RHS National Garden Week, Writhlington School Orchid Project

Alan Titchmarsh encouraging children to garden as part of the RHS Campaign for School Gardens (image courtesy of picselect)

As part of the RHS’s first ever National Garden Week which runs from 16th to 22nd April 2012 they will be launching a Campaign for School Gardening. The RHS want to get as many schools as possible to create their own ‘living classrooms’, where children can learn how to grow plants, understand where the food they eat comes from and build a love for the environment. The RHS will provide tools and course material for teachers illustrating how gardening can fit in with the National Curriculum and there will be teams of local advisers on hand to come along and help get the ‘living classrooms’ up and running.

I loved gardening when I was little. My first real gardening memory is being given a small part of my parents’ garden and spending my pocket money on alpines from my local DIY store. I would spend hours with a trowel digging, weeding and just generally messing about in the soil. I loved it, being outdoors and watching the bees and butterflies landing on the sedums I’d planted. Me and a friend would exchange plants we’d grown and I loved the visits to his dad’s allotment. His dad’s shed and greenhouse, stuffed full of tomatoes, had a mystical quality about them. But then I hit my teens and the combined distractions of schoolwork, boys and music filled my time. Although I did have a guilty secret, Friday nights were always about Gardeners’ World but I knew this wasn’t cool.

There are so many more distractions for children nowadays though, generally involving mobile phones and computers, is it possible to get the next generation interested in gardening?

Well the RHS believes it is and that is why projects like the Campaign for School Gardening are brilliant. There was nothing like this at my schools. My secondary school had had an extension built in the 1980s that included a large lean-to greenhouse and a small patch of land outside it that was meant for growing plants. Great you think, how forward thinking. Well it would have been if someone had actually done something with them. In the 7 years that I was there from the late 80s to the mid 90s the greenhouse was never used, in fact I never even saw anyone go inside and the garden, well it was knee deep in weeds, the sort of growth that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a railway embankment. It breaks my heart to think about this now, this potentially amazing resource that was so neglected.

Fortunately, it seems that things are changing with education understanding the benefits to children of time spent growing plants. So far 15,000 schools have registered with the RHS. However, it does seem that whilst primary schools have embraced the grow your own idea, secondary schools seem a differerent matter. Just as I lost interest in my teens, gardening seems to drift off the radar with post primary education. Maybe if mine had made use of the greenhouse, well who knows. There are schools who are bucking the trend, for instance Batley Girls High School which has an on site garden, allotment, greenhouse and polytunnels and pupils have recently designed a sensory garden for a local nursing home.

There is also the incredibly inspiring Writhlington School near Bath and their orchid growing project. They started out growing native orchids from seed and reintroducing them into the wild but the project expanded so that they are now world famous for their work with growing tropical orchids by micropropagation. Pupils who join the Greenhouse Club in their first year at the school are given responsibility for their own orchids and older students act as consultants to Kew Gardens and the Eden Project. Students have won gold medals at Chelsea and there are opportunities to travel to places such as the Himalaya to carry out actual scientific research. Doesn’t this sound like the most amazing place. My school had the gear but obviously no idea, (can you tell I’m annoyed by this!!). So despite the constraints of the curriculum, projects like these prove it is possible to engage teenagers in horticulture, disappointingly though they do seem few and far between. It would be a shame if gardening was just thought of as the green equivalent to messing about in the sand pit. It isn’t really enough to encourage young kids to have an interest in growing plants if it’s abandoned by schools as they get older. Hopefully, the Campaign for School Gardening will encourage more secondary schools to see the value of horticulture, with a changing climate, plant science and the environment are going to be increasingly important areas where we will need passion, interest and knowledge.

I’d love to here about your early gardening experiences. Do you know of any great projects getting young people involved in horticulture?

More information is available at the Campaign for School Gardening

The Houseplant Conundrum

Tags

Eden Project, feng shui, House plants, NASA, plants to purify the environment

How do you feel about houseplants? Do you love having pots of verdant plants dotted around your home or do you think the best place for plants is the garden? Do they thrive under your care or do they struggle to survive your regime of drought followed by drowning? As a plant lover I’m ashamed to admit that houseplants are my achilles heel.

I have always had a plant or two since I left home. Plants at university never really survived my student lifestyle. In contrast, my good friend doted on her plants, all of which had names and thrived. During the summer breaks I would be treated to updates on their progress in her letters to me.

In our first home together we bought a couple of plants from that large Swedish furniture shop. Along with the flat pack furniture with the strange names it seemed obligatory to buy a couple of plants. The one that I remember, possibly because it survived our attentions or lack of them, was a rubber plant or Ficus elastica. He even made the move back from Germany stuffed in the back of our car with the rest of our possessions deemed essential for living for several months whilst the rest was moved into storage. In our new flat he, his name is lost from my memory, was joined by a weeping fig which within days of purchase completely shed it’s leaves leaving a pathetic looking couple of bare stems in the pot. Eventually, the rubber plant got too big and was given to someone with more space.

Streptocarpus Seren (image from dibleys.com gold medal winning streptocarpus growers)

There have been other plants; a kalanchoe whose leaves were eaten by some undiscovered creature, an areca palm that developed blotchy leaves, orchids that never flower again and a streptocarpus that I overwatered amongst others.

My peace lily

My current houseplant roll call consists of 2 peace lilies, 3 money plants and 1 streptocarpus. The peace lilies were flowering when I bought them four years ago but haven’t flowered since but they do make attractive foliage plants and obligingly droop when they require a drink, so there is little danger of overwatering. They are also, according to NASA,  one of the best plants to have in the house to absorb the chemicals that are given off by modern furnishings and electrical appliances. I read somewhere that peace lilies are particularly sensitive to chlorine in tap water. It causes the tips to brown and die. So now I leave a glass of water standing overnight before using it to water them.

The streptocarpus is fussier and has proved more of a challenge to keep alive. It doesn’t like full sun so is only really happy on one particular window sill. It has slightly hairy leaves and doesn’t seem to like water splashing it’s leaves, otherwise it develops brown, dry patches. I have managed to get this one to flower though, which is something and once it starts flowering it goes on and on. I did forget to water it for a while though, partly because I killed the last streptocarpus by drowning the poor thing, so now the compost in the pot has formed a solid mass and shrunk away from the sides. Fortunately, March is the best time to pot on houseplants and give them some TLC so it won’t be long now before I can give this plant a new home.

My money plants

The money plants were grown from cuttings from my mum-in-law’s plant and have been very successful, they can get quite big and I don’t have the space, so I have to take cuttings every couple of years and start the plants off again. Money plants, however are really undemanding and there would be something wrong if they couldn’t survive my attention. They sit on my study window sill facing south east which is apparently where they should be according to feng shui. I have to say this has less to do with any adherence to this eastern philosophy than it is the only window sill available but still when I win the lottery I can say it was because of the placement of my money plants.

I know I’m not alone when it comes to struggling to keep houseplants alive. So why do they give us gardeners so many problems? Well as most gardeners know you should work with the conditions you have rather than trying to get plants to adapt and to some extent this is the problem with houseplants. Our homes really don’t provide most plants that are sold to us for the house with the conditions they require. Most houseplants are tender plants from the tropics. They generally like humidity and constant temperatures, the 2 things homes can’t really provide. If they did it wouldn’t be very pleasant for us to live in them, think Eden project in your lounge. Despite this I do still like having a few plants indoors and I’m sure they do make the environment in my home healthier, I just need to try a little harder to nurture these plants that I so often neglect.

Please feel free to share any houseplant horror stories, it’s a cathartic process.