The title of the garden – Green Seam – refers to regeneration and revitalisation of Betteshanger, a part of East Kent that has suffered a series of major economic and social setbacks following the abrupt closure of the last Kent coalfield in 1989. Led by Hadlow, one of the UK’s leading land-based colleges, the Betteshanger Sustainable Parks is a major £40m economic and social regeneration project including green technologies and sustainable business and commerce supported by world class research and development and education options.
While celebrating East Kent’s mining heritage, the garden depicts the transformation of the former colliery site into a green seam of sustainable hope, innovation and prosperity. The dark colliery spoil contrasts with the vivid greens and pinks of the plants and the garden shows how pioneer plant species, some of which are rare, can colonise apparently hostile environments such as spoil heaps and transform them into places of beauty.
While celebrating East Kent’s mining heritage, the garden depicts the transformation of the former colliery site into a green seam of sustainable hope, innovation and prosperity. The dark colliery spoil contrasts with the vivid greens and pinks of the plants and the garden shows how pioneer plant species, some of which are rare, can colonise apparently hostile environments such as spoil heaps and transform them into places of beauty.
