The 'Garden of Eaden' website

The purpose of this website is twofold. Firstly, it's to act as a free library of gardening and horticultural knowledge, while secondly, it’s to be a place where enthusiastic gardeners can discuss their needs and ideas, as well as  purchase those rare, desirable and unusual plants seldom seen in modern retail plant outlets.

Unfortunately, gardening has changed hugely over the past 50 years. Gone are the days when grandparents used to pass down secrets for growing their prized ornamental and vegetable crops, to the next generation of 'would be' gardeners. This tragic break in centuries of cultural tradition has been brought about by the most noble of intentions - a need for governments to be able to feed their growing population. Unfortunately, the easy availability of out-of-season food, brought about by modern intensive farming practices and container importation has made us lazy, and why not? 

Do we really need to know how to grow our food crops with so much cheap food just around the corner? The simple fact of the matter is that in this modern age the vast majority of us no longer need to grow our own edible crops – even if we had the time to do so – in order to ensure the survival of our families.

Stories of mad cow, bird flu and salmonella in our eggs, food scares are becoming increasingly common place. The upside of this is that interest in growing your own food organically has never been more popular. Unfortunately with the almost relentless take over of gardening programs by celebrity 'garden designer's, and with many horticultural/agricultural colleges turning away from teaching solid horticultural practice to concentrate on the more profitable floristry and small animal husbandry courses, who are the next generation of young, would be, gardeners expected to turn to for sound and experienced gardening advice?

The Garden of Eaden Website hopes to act as bridge of knowledge for anyone wanting to use it, but perhaps - and more importantly - it's there to help ignite the passion for anyone interested in taking up the fascinating subjects of gardening and horticulture. Both of which are sciences that have helped to shape the world into what we see today.