Young Cornish Gardeners go Global at Eden

The pupils also celebrated the past year’s Gardens For Life activities with a wholesome and colourful feast on 10 July, created out of school-grown foods that they all brought to share, and attended a presentation ceremony where they received certificates acknowledging their work.

Participating in the feast and celebration were pupils and teachers from Delaware Community Primary School, St Nicolas CE VA School, St Levan School, Torpoint Community School, Upton Cross Primary School, Camelford Community Primary School and Lanlivery Community Primary School.

The Gardens for Life Project, which recently completed its pilot phase and continues to attract worldwide interest, has linked Cornish schools to schools in other parts of the UK as well as India and Kenya to grow food crops and use planting as a way to connect and to learn about world issues. In Cornwall it has been developed through a partnership between the Eden Project and Creative Partnerships.

The Global Gardeners exhibit at Eden showcases stories, ideas and plants grown by gardeners and allotment holders across the country and across continents. As well as plots showing typical plants grown in these areas, a community shed is filled with stories and ideas including the new work created by the Gardens for Life children.

Dr Jo Elworthy, Eden’s Director of Learning, described the event as 'a special day to celebrate the Gardens for Life story, a central part of our new Global Gardeners exhibit. The schools taking part have been asked to provide a picture of what Gardens for Life means to them and their school. The first visitors who have seen this exhibit absolutely love it.

'We're now asking everyone to join our global gardening community and add their ideas. It is also a great way of letting more people know about Gardens for Life and how this is growing.'

Dax Ansell of Creative Partnerships says: 'I really enjoyed the feast, and the sharing of food that was grown in the schools’ gardens. People coming together and sharing food is a really important community activity across the world, and possibly something we don’t do so well in this country. And because the children have grown the food themselves, this has also raised awareness of healthy eating and given the children a reason to try things they would not normally eat at the feast. I particularly liked Lanlivery's nettle soup, which all the children loved, and St Levan's home-made pesto which was outstanding.

'The children are also rightly proud of their wonderful art work, which really captures their enjoyment and learning through Gardens for Life. It's great that it’s now on display for every Eden visitor to see.'