EDIBLE PLAYGROUNDS
16 June 2008
I don't know whether any readers of this column are regular attendees at the Chelsea Flower Show. But, to judge by the amount of time that people in West Dorset (including my wife) spend in cultivating their gardens, I guess that there may be quite a number who make the annual pilgrimage to see what the Royal Horticultural Society can surprise, delight or shock us with.
For those locals who do go to the Show, it must be a pleasure to see gardens that have also come to the Show from Dorset. There's nothing like making a long trip and finding yourself at home when you arrive.
Anyone who made the trip this year would have had exactly this experience - with a bonus - they would have been able to eat what they saw.
Why?
Well, because the item that not only got a gold medal but also won the Best Courtyard Garden award at this year's Show, was none other than the edible playground developed by our very own Dorset Cereals.
Just to make a point, the plants for the edible playground were grown in Poundbury. The wheat was brought in from Sherborne. The playground was designed by a local guru. And the whole thing was constructed by a local firm.
The great thing about the edible playground is that it has what the managers of the 2012 Olympics call "a legacy". The idea is that, by going to www.edibleplaygrounds.co.uk, schools can find all the information they need to set up their own playground vegetable gardens, so that children can cook with the food they grow. As the organisers say: "it is all about teaching children where food comes from and sharing the fun and satisfaction of growing - and cooking - your own".
And, of course, the edible playground doesn't just feed the stomach, it also feeds the eyes. A little apple tree, a fan-trained plum and a topiaried bay tree add structure and shape. The violas and pansies, marigolds, blue and white borage and day lilies (all, amazingly, edible) contribute colour, alongside the alpine strawberries, the Oregon thornless blackberries, the grape vines and the cherry tomatoes. Meanwhile the herbs - rosemary, chives, thyme, Corsican mint and chamomile - give texture. This in short, is not just a food factory; it is a work of art.
For anyone reading this column who has the ambition to start such a garden, I strongly recommend a visit to the web-site where I understand there is a competition, offering the chance of winning a "grow-your-own garden set".
I do hope that we will shortly see these edible playgrounds sprouting up in schools all over West Dorset. And I hope we will see a generation of little vegetable gardeners sprouting up as a result.
For those locals who do go to the Show, it must be a pleasure to see gardens that have also come to the Show from Dorset. There's nothing like making a long trip and finding yourself at home when you arrive.
Anyone who made the trip this year would have had exactly this experience - with a bonus - they would have been able to eat what they saw.
Why?
Well, because the item that not only got a gold medal but also won the Best Courtyard Garden award at this year's Show, was none other than the edible playground developed by our very own Dorset Cereals.
Just to make a point, the plants for the edible playground were grown in Poundbury. The wheat was brought in from Sherborne. The playground was designed by a local guru. And the whole thing was constructed by a local firm.
The great thing about the edible playground is that it has what the managers of the 2012 Olympics call "a legacy". The idea is that, by going to www.edibleplaygrounds.co.uk, schools can find all the information they need to set up their own playground vegetable gardens, so that children can cook with the food they grow. As the organisers say: "it is all about teaching children where food comes from and sharing the fun and satisfaction of growing - and cooking - your own".
And, of course, the edible playground doesn't just feed the stomach, it also feeds the eyes. A little apple tree, a fan-trained plum and a topiaried bay tree add structure and shape. The violas and pansies, marigolds, blue and white borage and day lilies (all, amazingly, edible) contribute colour, alongside the alpine strawberries, the Oregon thornless blackberries, the grape vines and the cherry tomatoes. Meanwhile the herbs - rosemary, chives, thyme, Corsican mint and chamomile - give texture. This in short, is not just a food factory; it is a work of art.
For anyone reading this column who has the ambition to start such a garden, I strongly recommend a visit to the web-site where I understand there is a competition, offering the chance of winning a "grow-your-own garden set".
I do hope that we will shortly see these edible playgrounds sprouting up in schools all over West Dorset. And I hope we will see a generation of little vegetable gardeners sprouting up as a result.
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