Our projects

During our time at Watering Lane nursery we have watered, swept, weeded, planted, raked, dug, grown potatoes to test the crop for suitability for crisps. We have washed greenhouses, picked Jacob's tears, cotton and peanuts, and grown a variety of vegetables and flowers.

As well as our ongoing projects of planting bulbs for Eden's spring festival, planting and harvesting gourds for the autumn displays and growing vegetables for our own use, we have special projects that the Eden Project asks us to help with.

Organic vegetable plants

The team have helped to plant thousands of seeds to take part in trials producing organic vegetable plants. The plants that are the most successful go on to be sold as young veg plants at the shop at the Eden Project and have been hugely popular. Some plants will be harvested for their seed so that The Eden Project can produce its own range of organic vegetable plants grown completely at Eden. Eventually the crops will feature on the menus of the Eden Project's award winning restaurants.

Water usage

The Eden Project is researching different ways of getting the most from our natural resources. We have helped set up a project to trial methods of watering vegetable plants which will conserve water. Tomato plants have been planted in special beds which have an irrigation system that recycles the water supply. The plants are encouraged to grow their roots around a pipe which delivers the water to cut down on evaporation. We are all excited to see the results later in the year.

Working together

Everyone involved in these projects gains so many new skills and knowledge. The success of our involvement would not be possible without the empathy, kindness and willingness to share knowledge shown by all the in-house Eden staff at Watering Lane. They help to make all participants feel welcome and are never too busy to answer a question.