Eden Project Apprentices and Students Celebrate Early 2026 Achievements

Budding horticulturists at the Eden Project have picked up a string of awards and achievements in early 2026, as the educational charity marked 25 years since opening on 17th March.

The successes come during a milestone year for Eden, which has spent a quarter of a century promoting connections with nature and environmental innovation.

Sustainability Hub Showcases Regenerative Gardening

Three second-year horticultural apprentices helped bring sustainable gardening to life at the Cornwall Garden Society’s Spring Flower Show, held on 28th and 29th March at the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge.

Maddie Lewis, Joe Arscott and Ross Macandie designed and built the Sustainability Hub, an interactive space made up of four mini gardens. Each section focused on key elements of regenerative gardening including water and soil, nature, build and energy, and crops.

The display used repurposed materials such as timber, paving, staging and plant materials, while offering visitors practical ideas they could use at home.

Maddie Lewis said:
“Across all four sections, plants were selected not only for their beauty but for the stories they tell of resilience, adaptation, regeneration and interdependence, with the aim of inspiring gardeners of all levels to adopt more sustainable practices. It was great seeing families of all ages interact with the microscopes, paper garden-making and sunflower seed sowing, helping to show how little actions can contribute to improving the world around us.”

Celebrating 25 Years of Eden

Catherine Cutler, head of horticulture at the Eden Project, said the Sustainability Hub reflected the organisation’s wider mission.

She said:
“As the Eden Project marks its 25th anniversary, we used the Sustainability Hub to celebrate a quarter century of bold ideas, environmental innovation and inspiring millions to connect with nature, which is fundamental to our mission as an educational charity. Since opening in 2001, Eden has demonstrated how people and planet can thrive together, transforming a former clay pit into a global symbol of regeneration and possibility, while championing environmentally friendly innovation.”

Awards and Recognition Continue

Alongside the show, the Eden Project was awarded first place in a competitive class for its collection of three herbaceous perennials of different cultivars with three tulips.

The team also curated the show’s Tipi Talks programme, giving visitors the chance to learn from horticultural practitioners and specialists. Speakers included community leader and environmental activist Tayshan Hayden-Smith and Eden’s director of horticulture, Peter Jones.

Further achievements have followed throughout the first quarter of 2026.

Holly Doran was named Cornwall Land-based Apprentice of the Year and Cornwall Apprentice of the Year at the tenth annual Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards on 6th February.

Sally Robinson, a garden and landscape design graduate studying with Cornwall College University Centre at the Eden Project, reached the finals of the 2026 Society of Garden Landscape Design Student Awards.

Meanwhile, the Eden Project hosted the South West regional final of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s Young Horticulturist of the Year competition on 21st March, where Fay Hunter secured fourth place.

Supporting the Next Generation

The Eden Project continues to offer a wide range of learning opportunities in partnership with Cornwall College and Truro and Penwith College. Around 250 students and apprentices are supported each year through undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as work experience opportunities.

Many go on to build careers at the charity itself.

More information about apprenticeships and learning opportunities can be found on the Eden Project website.