Eden

The inspiring story of how the Eden Project was conceived and built, by Tim Smit, its creator.

“We live in times of great change and big concerns and most of us feel small in the face of what might lie in store.

“With passion and commitment, thousands of ‘small’ people built Eden as a symbol of hope in action.

“We may all have feet of clay, but that shouldn’t stop us trying to make a difference. Wouldn’t we all rather look back and say, ‘I’m glad I did,’ rather than ‘I wish I had?’ ”

“Some might smile at the naivety of such ambition, believing it to be impossible. We say, ‘Demand the impossible’.” -- Tim Smit

The impossible has been delivered: a living theatre of plants and people and their interdependence, housed in a disused china clay pit and featuring the world’s largest greenhouses. Well over a million visitors have made their way to Eden, drawn by the astonishing, visionary ambition of its founders. Now, in this beautiful book, Tim Smit tells the story of the Eden Project: its genesis in the Lost Gardens of Heligan, its design and construction against all the odds, its supremely talented team of larger-than-life personalities. Above all, he tells how the energy that brought the vision to life is being applied to possible futures. It is a vision for all to share.

Tim Smit is Chief Executive and co-founder of the Eden Project near St. Austell in Cornwall, England. He recently chaired Britain’s Landscape Heritage Trust’s feasibility study of urban parks and gardens throughout the UK.