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| 'Wonderwall' inspires flower show | 'Wonderwall' inspires flower show |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Volunteers used fruit, herbs, vegetables and ornamental plants in their wall | Volunteers used fruit, herbs, vegetables and ornamental plants in their wall |
| By Nik Wood BBC News | By Nik Wood BBC News |
| A giant "wall" made up of 4,000 plants created by homeless volunteers is providing inspiration at the Chelsea Flower Show as part of a regeneration project with Cornwall's Eden Project. | A giant "wall" made up of 4,000 plants created by homeless volunteers is providing inspiration at the Chelsea Flower Show as part of a regeneration project with Cornwall's Eden Project. |
| "Compared with what I used to be like - getting into trouble with the police, drinking and drugs - gardening helps me relax and chill out, this has given me something to be proud of," says Luke Farley. | "Compared with what I used to be like - getting into trouble with the police, drinking and drugs - gardening helps me relax and chill out, this has given me something to be proud of," says Luke Farley. |
| The young volunteer from the St Petroc's Society, which caters for single homeless people, sums up the ethos behind The Key garden. | The young volunteer from the St Petroc's Society, which caters for single homeless people, sums up the ethos behind The Key garden. |
| It was commissioned by the government to help homeless people improve their skills and training - giving them an opportunity to improve their lives. | It was commissioned by the government to help homeless people improve their skills and training - giving them an opportunity to improve their lives. |
| A former prisoner painted one of his poems on the pavilion's pillars | |
| The garden, which was undertaken by the world-famous Eden Project, is creating quite a stir at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, sponsored by the Royal Horticultural Society. | The garden, which was undertaken by the world-famous Eden Project, is creating quite a stir at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, sponsored by the Royal Horticultural Society. |
| People from homeless projects, together with serving and former prisoners, have worked as a team to design, grow and build The Key. | People from homeless projects, together with serving and former prisoners, have worked as a team to design, grow and build The Key. |
| It will be judged at Chelsea alongside gardens designed by some of the world's leading horticulturalists. | It will be judged at Chelsea alongside gardens designed by some of the world's leading horticulturalists. |
| One of its high-profile features is a vertical green wall 66ft (20m) wide and 7ft (2m) high, built with more than 4,000 young and tender plants. | One of its high-profile features is a vertical green wall 66ft (20m) wide and 7ft (2m) high, built with more than 4,000 young and tender plants. |
| The garden's designers claim the wall is going to be a popular feature of urban gardens in the future, where there will be less space and a greater emphasis on the environment. | The garden's designers claim the wall is going to be a popular feature of urban gardens in the future, where there will be less space and a greater emphasis on the environment. |
| It's bucked up my confidence and it's made me feel good about myself Volunteer Lucy Frew | |
| This will be combined with the trend for "growing your own" as it can also include soft fruit, herbs and vegetables mixed in with ornamental plants. | This will be combined with the trend for "growing your own" as it can also include soft fruit, herbs and vegetables mixed in with ornamental plants. |
| The wall was planted by team members from the Shekinah Mission in Plymouth, which supports homeless people. | The wall was planted by team members from the Shekinah Mission in Plymouth, which supports homeless people. |
| "I have been telling everyone in my family that my work is going to be on show at Chelsea," said Lucy Frew, one of the team responsible. | "I have been telling everyone in my family that my work is going to be on show at Chelsea," said Lucy Frew, one of the team responsible. |
| "It's bucked up my confidence and it's made me feel good about myself." | "It's bucked up my confidence and it's made me feel good about myself." |
| Fellow team member Peter Murphy said: "Chelsea can be seen as a bit of a clique and I think this is a great idea because it will help it get back to its grass roots." | Fellow team member Peter Murphy said: "Chelsea can be seen as a bit of a clique and I think this is a great idea because it will help it get back to its grass roots." |
| Another central feature is the Places of Change pavilion, designed by Architecture Sans Frontieres (ASF), which works with disadvantaged people in the UK. | Another central feature is the Places of Change pavilion, designed by Architecture Sans Frontieres (ASF), which works with disadvantaged people in the UK. |
| Former prisoner Dean Stalham worked with ASF to design large pillars around the pavilion painted with the words of a poem he wrote following his release. | Former prisoner Dean Stalham worked with ASF to design large pillars around the pavilion painted with the words of a poem he wrote following his release. |
| Organisers hope the garden will help volunteers develop new skills | |
| "It's really an outpouring of my life. I started it in the pram and it covers right up to the present day," he said. | "It's really an outpouring of my life. I started it in the pram and it covers right up to the present day," he said. |
| "I thought about painting the words on the pillars very neatly but I decided to just paint them very fast because it represents the tone of the poem." | "I thought about painting the words on the pillars very neatly but I decided to just paint them very fast because it represents the tone of the poem." |
| Howard Jones, director of human networks at the Eden Project, said: "We have to get to grips with why we have got homelessness, crime and reoffending that is causing major problems in communities across the country." | Howard Jones, director of human networks at the Eden Project, said: "We have to get to grips with why we have got homelessness, crime and reoffending that is causing major problems in communities across the country." |
| Mr Jones hopes the development of new skills will give team members a better chance of getting a job and pulling themselves out of the spiral of homelessness and crime. | Mr Jones hopes the development of new skills will give team members a better chance of getting a job and pulling themselves out of the spiral of homelessness and crime. |
| "When Chelsea packs up, we are not going to say thanks very much, it was nice knowing you, " he said. | "When Chelsea packs up, we are not going to say thanks very much, it was nice knowing you, " he said. |
| "This is just the beginning and it's also helping to extend an existing programme, and that is going to continually grow as a result of this." | "This is just the beginning and it's also helping to extend an existing programme, and that is going to continually grow as a result of this." |
| The project was commissioned by the Department of Communities and Local Government. | The project was commissioned by the Department of Communities and Local Government. |
| The recently formed Homes and Communities Agency worked with Eden to increase the awareness of their Places of Change programme, which focuses on homeless people. | The recently formed Homes and Communities Agency worked with Eden to increase the awareness of their Places of Change programme, which focuses on homeless people. |