We arrived at the “Eden Project”:http://www.edenproject.com just after 11:00 on a rainy Wednesday in May. We parked in the Plum1 lot and walked down to the entrance though there is a shuttle bus if you wish as the parking lots are a fair distance from the buildings. We had bought two copies of the May issue of Gardener’s World magazine for the 2for1 entrance card for numerous gardens around the UK and we’re glad we did because the entrance fee for the Eden Project is £27.50 for adults. There were four of us and with just this one garden the card had more than paid for itself. With your entrance fee you also get a yearly pass so if you live in the area or will be visiting again within the year it is even more good value. My one aunt and uncle had been here before when it had only just opened and noticed quite a change. The parking lots are much bigger, the gardens are more developed and the site in general seems larger.
Following the map provided with our tickets we headed to the land train for the trip down to the Rainforest Biome. This biome is very hot and humid. This is the larger of the two biomes and it is full of lush tropical plants. We went through it at different speeds to match our comfort levels. My one aunt has difficulty with warm weather and was feeling ill so had to quickly go through and out. I considered going up into the top of the canopy I could see by the roof but there is a list of health questions at the entrance that precluded me from going higher into the increased heat and humidity of the biome. I did, however, go on the Canopy Walkway including the rope bridge and the waterfall. At one spot you can walk through a cloud. There are lots of story boards to read as you go around about the animals, plants, trees and produce (e.g., palm oil, cocoa and coffee) in the rain forest as well as how the rain forest acts as a weather machine to keep us cool and watered. If you look closely you can see lizards, frogs and birds wandering around the biome that serve as insect control. About half way through there is a cool room that you can step into for a break from the heat. It was also interesting to see artwork from the people who live in the rain forest regions around the world.
After a very interesting lunch in the Cantina (separate review) we moved into the Mediterranean Biome. This one is much more temperate and comfortable to walk around. We could imagine we were in any country around the Med, drinking in the sunshine despite the clouds outside. Surrounded by lovely flowers, statues and garden layouts we took some time to sit and drink in the atmosphere. There is a sculpture installation by Tim Shaw, “The Rites of Dionysus,” depicting The Maenads dancing and playing instruments around Dionysus who is in the form of a bull. The biome also represents areas of California, South Africa and Western Australia and there is a restaurant here which serves Mediterranean food.
The rain had stopped so we headed outside and walked through the Zigzag Through Time, Slopes of Earthly Treasures and Outdoor Gardens where art installations are interspersed in the vegetation. At one point a blackbird was singing to me as I took its photo – a beautiful sound. The one area we did not get to see was the Core as it was closed. It’s amazing to think that all of this was created out of an old china clay pit! We did see a couple of intrepid people zoom past on the zip line; maybe we’ll do that another time.
Much of the grounds and inside the biomes is wheelchair accessible – they won an award in 2017 for accessibility. There are clear signs and maps showing which areas are stepped and which are flat.
