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'Plant doctor' calls on children to design Great British Garden
Ellen Widdup07.05.09
A leading plant scientist is asking children across London to design an Olympic garden.
James Wong, who finds "plant cures" for eczema, sore throats and indigestion and presents the BBC show Grow Your Own Drugs, believes the key to life-long health is learning to garden as a toddler.
The 27-year-old, whose earliest memory is taking a stroll round his grandmother's garden at the age of two, now wants tens of thousands of under-16s to enter a competition to design a quarter-acre plot in the Olympic Park.
The Great British Garden must use native plants and can include water features, paving and seating areas.
Entrants have been asked to submit a drawing of their garden and a winner will be picked by public vote in September. A separate competition is being run for over-17s.
Mr Wong said: "You only have to plant up a tiny window box and you can call yourself a garden designer. The most important thing is to get involved, get your hands dirty. There are thousands of different flowers, shrubs, trees you could include which are native to the UK.
"You can't buy a garden pre-packaged from Ikea - you have to use your imagination."
Mr Wong said he hoped the competition, organised by the Royal Horticultural Society and Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, would help young people use their imaginations to come up with "something wonderful" in time for the 2012 Games.
"It is never too early to get out in the garden and explore," he said. "All too often it is seen as a grown-up, serious thing and it really isn't. It can be a lot of fun. It's also a great way to stay healthy, get some fresh air and exercise as well as learn something new."
A spokeswoman for the RHS said: "We are delighted that James is supporting our project. We will be promoting the competition at the Chelsea Flower Show this year and are keen to get people of all age groups involved."
Mr Wong is designing a garden at Chelsea on behalf of the Canary Islands Tourist Board. He and his co-designer David Cubero will use some of the world's rarest plants. "We are using a big range of species because the Canary Islands have some of the most exciting flora in Europe," Mr Wong said. "Among them is the Dragon's Blood Tree, which is endangered.
"There are fewer than 50 of these in the wild but ours have been specially cultivated. The tree was once considered a vital medicinal substance."
The Chelsea Flower Show runs from 19 to 23 May.
Reader views (2)
You only live once, lets have fun. Who cares how many billions are going to waste, our future generations will take care of that.
- N, London
Just do a floral display showing how many £billions will be wasted on this white elephant event so that we are reminded for years to come of the waste of money its caused
- Mike, London England
