Everything in the garden is... BIG

I don't know if it's an age thing but I'm really into gardens. I'm sick with annoyance that I had to turn down a ticket for the last day at Chelsea tomorrow and still haven't been to The Eden Project which must be nicely developed. A few years back, after leaving the home interest magazine I was editing, I was inspired by Kim Wilde (yes she of Kids in America fame) and did a garden design course at Capel Manor. So apparently I am qualified to design gardens and should be exhibiting at Chelsea by now, not just wandering round. But that's how life seems to have panned out.

So these days I just direct the other half in where to put things without getting my hands dirty but benefiting from cooking the veg from our small veg garden.  I still keep my eye on interesting stories that may even get me out to visit some inspirational gardens and get my lungs filled with fresh air. So I was interested to read that the gardeners at the Eden Project in Cornwall are 'waiting with baited breath' to see if a giant rainforest plant becomes the biggest flower ever to be grown indoors.

This giant freak of nature is known as a Titan Arum and has taken nine years to get to it's 8 feet 2 inches and will only flower for two to three days before dying. This is an example of where I just don't get Mother Nature, who is normally far more efficient.

This is what it looks like...

Massive by anyone's standards so the flower should be pretty impressive too. Due to burst into bloom sometime during half term (so May 30 - June 5)  if you are holidaying in Cornwall I really would check it out along with other amazing plants taking centre-stage in their Freaky Nature exhibition. Take the kids, take yourselves - and if you get a chance to photograph the bloom in full glory please send it to me and I'll post it.

An added extra is a feature on Poo! and the glories of it - there's no accounting for taste but most kids will love this, and it's the ideal way to sell a visit to them.

Check here for further information on The Eden Project.