It’s not cheap but it’s the best rainforest I’ll ever see
Apart from its wonderful coastline, the Eden Project Cornwall has to be the most iconic site in the county and its top visitor attraction. It’s with good reason – a truly inspiring destination and not just for gardeners. Many thanks for the pictures by Gary Welford.
This former clay mine was once a barren landscape with no soil or plants. The crater is now a beautiful global garden, with famous biomes and outdoor gardens too. The Eden Project Cornwall houses the world’s largest indoor rainforest. Now, it’s not cheap but there are savings to be made by booking in advance online and there’s cut-price entry for local people.
Newly opened is Nature’s Playground for the children and music lovers will appreciate it as home to the Eden Sessions. Check out the website for special events and concerts.
The Eden Project Cornwall – The Mediterranean Biome (allow 1 hour)
Get yourself used to warmer temperatures by visiting the Mediterranean Biome first (and have a splendid lunch in the al fresco-style cafe under palm trees). As much as I love tropical plants (I expected the Rainforest Biome to be first class), the Mediterranean Biome was the stand-out for me. Much better than I had imagined!
It really did transport you back to holidays in the Med. The temperature here is cooler (9-25C) and drier, showcasing plants from the Mediterranean, California, South Africa and Western Australia.
This huge indoor garden houses more than 1,000 varieties of plants, enhanced by clever architectural features from each zone. Grass trees, huge cacti and ancient olives were my stand-outs here. You can’t miss Tim Shaw’s The Rites of Dionysus sculpture, depicting the myth of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and merriment, and his followers, the Maenads, dancing through the grapevines.
Rainforest Biome (allow 1.5 hours)
The Eden Project Cornwall’s most famous asset and it does not disappoint. Beware, though, if you suffer from walking in high heat and humidity – it will take it out of you. There’s even a ‘cool room’ in the centre so you can recover for a bit. I had to use it twice! Wear hot weather clothes – depending on the season and time of day, the temperature ranges from 18-35C.
The enormous indoor rainforest covers tropical islands, SE Asia, West Africa and tropical South America. There’s an accessible canopy walkway for stunning views over the Biome. Watch out for stunning sculptures and photos of native peoples and their stories.
With more than 1,000 varieties of plants growing as if in the wild, there are plenty of information boards and themes to help you contextualise plants and how we use them. At the Weather Maker exhibit, shelter from tropical rain and find out how rainforests cool the Earth.
See rubber trees, cacao, sugar cane, bananas and a spice market. One enduring message to take away is caring for the rainforest and its people before it’s too late.
The Eden Project Cornwall – Outdoor Gardens (allow 2 hours)
The Eden Project Cornwall isn’t just about the biomes! There are many acres of gardens sitting on the site of the former clay mine, in a favourable microclimate. This former barren landscape is now the contemporary Outdoor Gardens, covering more than 20 acres. Across the slopes are cultivated and wild landscapes and how people depend on both.
With more than 3,000 varieties of plants on display, you’re sure to find inspiration. My favourites were the Pollination Trail and the Invisible Water Garden.
I hadn’t expected such diversity in the 20+ plant-based exhibits outdoors. The Wild Edge area displays the world’s temperate lands while the Crops area introduces plants for food, fuels, medicines and materials. There are gardens for play, creativity, fruit, veg, flowers, health and wellbeing. The growing Climate Garden takes you through 400 million years and explores possible positive futures.
Invisible Worlds Exhibition
The Invisible Worlds exhibits are well worth a visit – they’re on a monumental scale. They reveal the world beyond our senses. Those things that are too big, too small, too fast, too slow, and too far away in space and time. Find out how life is shaped by, and shapes, invisible systems.
These invisible forces create fresh air, clean water, fertile soil, a stable climate and a natural recycling system. If they are threatened, so are we. Understanding the interconnectedness of everything can transform our understanding of the world.
Most popular was the Infinity Blue ‘breathing’ sculpture. This huge ceramic sculpture, designed by Studio Swine, almost reaches the roof of the Core building. (The design of the Core Building itself is based on a sunflower.) It celebrates one of the world’s smallest but most important organisms: cyanobacteria. Puffs of steam appear at random points, blowing ‘smoke’ rings across the space.
Also impressive is the Seed Sculpture by Peter Randall-Page. Carved from solid granite, this huge seed-shaped sculpture sits in a chamber at the heart of the Core building.
All in all, a wonderful place to visit and worth the entrance fee. On the subject of that, there’s not a flat rate, so try and avoid peak times to save more. For more on admission to The Eden Project Cornwall, visit www.edenproject.com.
