The site for the initial sowing is at Seabraes, located near the science centre and approximately a mile from the former Dundee Gasworks on East Dock Street, the proposed site for the Eden Project’s home in Dundee.
On Saturday people from across the local community gathered at the site to participate in the significant milestone event. Among those in attendance were local councillors, students from the University of Dundee and representatives from Bonnie Dundee, West End Community Council, St Paul’s Cathedral Eco Group and the University of Dundee Botanic Garden.
Upon arrival, each individual was greeted with their own bag of wildflower seeds, which they were then able to sow on to an area of the site, allowing everyone to come together and be part of the transformation process.
Representatives from The Big Lunch were in attendance, ahead of the upcoming Big Jubilee Lunch, and the community were also treated to live music from local singer songwriter Nicola Madill, whose seventies-inspired tracks combine a mixture of folk, blues and Americana with some Eastern influences.
The planting programme is part of Eden’s commitment to the city ahead of the planned 2025 opening of the Eden Project site in Dundee.
The kickstart of the project at Seabraes has been supported by NatureScot, a nature agency with 30 years’ experience advising the Scottish Government, promoting, caring for and improving Scotland’s nature and landscapes.
Seabraes is the first of several sites across Dundee city where Eden’s National Wildflower Centre will be sowing wildflowers and each site will look different, featuring its own unique mix of wildflowers from the centre which have been tailored to the habitat and substrate on which they are sown.
The mixes incorporate different species to suit a multitude of different pollinators as well as providing colour for the whole growing season.
Eden has worked closely with local specialists Scotia Seeds to ensure local wildflower species and seed are present within all mixes.
For the Seabraes site, species of seed being sown include Cornfield annuals that will create a blaze of colour this summer season including blues, whites and yellows.
Also included are wildflower perennials such as Black knapweed, Red campion, Cow parsley, Meadow buttercup, Yarrow and Selfheal. These will become established during the first year and will bring full colour in the second year and further years to come. The mix of different colours, heights, shapes and smells will attract many different pollinators to the site and will make the most of the free draining rubble on which they are planted.
Flax is also featured in the mix to showcase its local significance to Dundee due to the city’s history in linen production. Its tall stems and bright blue flowers will be on show this summer.
Following Seabraes, further meadows will be planted in May and will start blooming in the summer. These locations include Camperdown Park, Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, Riverside and the lawn at Morgan Academy.
In addition, a further seven sites have been identified by Dundee City Council that will be developed and maintained through the Nature Restoration Fund. Eden will support the evolution of these sites with training and narrative building.
These meadows will be at Magdalen Green and Dawson Park, Lochee and Myrekirk Parks, Claypotts Pond, Caird Park and Claverhouse Industrial Estate.
Further funding for the project, which will initially take place over two years, is being provided by the Alexander Moncur Trust, a grant making charity based in Dundee celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2022.
To achieve its ambitions, the project will see Eden working alongside several partners including Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, Scottish Enterprise, the University of Dundee, University of Dundee Botanic Garden, James Hutton Institution and Dundee City Council.
Together, the wildflower sites will support Dundee City Council's biodiversity strategy to enhance all habitats and to deliver the co-benefits of both climate change adaptation and mitigation. They will also provide accessible spaces with opportunities for recreation, social interaction, outdoor play and learning and spaces to unwind and relax.
The sites will also act as a hub to run creative and arts-based activities and deliver opportunities for families, young people and others to engage in cultural events.
Earlier this month, Eden and its partners - Dundee City Council, The Northwood Charitable Trust and the University of Dundee - agreed a funding package that will pay for the next stages of work on Eden Project Dundee.
The £7.6m injection into the project will fund detailed design and development and completing the work required for a planning application. This is effectively everything needed to get the project ready for construction.
This work follows the completion of the Eden Project Dundee pollination study and masterplan, which established the economic, social and environmental case for the project and started exploring design and content.
