Places of Change by Paul Stone

“The inspiration for this garden is to say that horticulture is the centre of our lives – growing and using plants provides all we need in order to live and enjoy life,” says Paul.

Five zones are connected by a central spine of timber posts with pathways that undulate between, flowing from one zone to the next. Overall though, it’s a garden as much about people as plants.

Paul’s role in the project was to produce a template for bringing the whole project together and this was the concept for the five zones of 'food', 'the senses', 'health', 'industry' and 'environment'.

“The overall theme of the garden is that horticulture is at the centre of our lives. Homeless centres all over the country took a brief to be involved. They came up with ways to talk about how people connect and how we all connect with horticulture.”

Changing colours of the central ‘spine’ denote the different zones of the garden. Beneath the central spine a smooth ribbon of grass helps to unite the different schemes together.

Each zone provides much opportunity for artistic works too. In the health zone is a 2.4m medicine man clothed in chamomile and plants, making health giving and medicinal properties a focal point.

“Fundamentally, this project is all about the people involved in it,” explains Paul, “their experience in designing it, growing the plants and building it. The aims are to give people the opportunity for learning life skills for future employment. For homeless people, who on the whole society has perhaps given up on, this project is an investment rather than a cost.”

What will happen to the garden after the show?

The materials and plants from the Places of Change garden will go back to homing centres all over the country. Any surplus material will be sold either at the show or offsite to businesses nearby.