Dandelion reveals locations of Unexpected Gardens

What is Dandelion?

A series of specially created ‘edible’ gardens are set to transform patches of unused land and unexpected places all over Scotland as part of a unique nationwide “grow your own” food initiative. Bringing new life to community libraries, waterfronts, car parks and even tidal sites from the Western Isles to the Borders, the Unexpected Gardens are set to be a highlight of Dandelion a new creative programme, taking place from April to September 2022. 

Commissioned by EventScotland and funded via the Scottish Government, Dandelion is Scotland’s contribution to UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, a nationwide programme of creative events and engagement. Driven by the concept of ‘Sow, Grow, Share’ – not just food but ideas, music, scientific knowledge, and community - Dandelion takes a unique approach to growing. Bringing together artists, scientists, performers, and technologists to present events and programmes throughout Scotland, including the Unexpected Gardens, Dandelion will culminate in hundreds of harvest celebrations later this year.

Find out more about Dandelion's programme at their dedicated website.

Read about the exciting activity happening across the UK at the UNBOXED website.

Musician in Residence opportunities

Each Unexpected Garden will host a programme of events unique to each location throughout the summer, programmed by a creative producer. A local Musician in Residence will also be appointed to each site, with applications now open, to create a new piece of work to be presented at the culminating Harvest event in September.

Apply to become a Musician in Residence on the Dandelion website.

Cubes of Perpetual Light

Additionally, the gardens will be visited by Dandelion’s specially designed Cubes of Perpetual Light, part-artwork, part-miniature vertical farms, the cubes will grow hundreds of seedlings under LED light, showcasing the latest technological innovation in horticulture.

Find out more about the Cubes of Perpetual Light on the Dandelion blog page.

Floating Garden

Partnering with creative community organisations in locations across Scotland, Dandelion’s Unexpected Gardens will even include one stunning ‘Floating Garden’ which will tour the Forth and Clyde Canal, and the Union Canal.

Consisting of two barges and floating ecosystems that will be delivered in collaboration with urban water scaping specialists, Biomatrix, the Floating Garden will engage community networks across central Scotland, from local growers and schools to members of the public, audiences can follow the tour to experience the gardens in all their glory. One barge will carry one of Dandelion’s striking cubes, whilst the other will host a miniature allotment, complete with its own garden shed. 

Launching from Glasgow in June, the Floating Garden will pass through Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, Auchinstarry, Bonnybridge, Polmont, Linlithgow, Broxburn, Ratho and Edinburgh before docking at the Helix in Falkirk until September 2022.

Unexpected Gardens will appear across Scotland

Other sites include Findhorn Bay Arts’ gardens in the centre of Forres. The unique gardens will respond to the town’s main square and multiple alleys, promoting the growing of mushrooms which will thrive in the dark shadowy entryways. Also in the Highlands, arriving in sites across Caithness, Lyth Arts Centre’s garden will roll off a trailer and become home to a performance and workshop space.

In Fife, the Leven Programme will convert the car park of The Centre – a community space – into a garden site. Elsewhere, Cove Park in Argyll will look to the water as they use tidal sites in Loch Long and Gare Loch to focus on food and flora native to the area such as sea buckthorn and seaweed.

Elsewhere in Scotland, Edinburgh Agroecology Group will develop a garden site at Lauriston Farm, RIG Arts will take over a site behind South West Library in Greenock, Taigh Chearsabhagh in Uist, Fèis Rois in Alness. The Stove Network and Stranraer Development Trust, Alchemy Film & Arts in the Borders and a partnership of organisations in Dundee are also dusting off their green fingers to get involved!

Dandelion is one of ten major creative projects commissioned as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, which is taking place across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in 2022. The UK’s most ambitious showcase of creative collaboration includes free large-scale events, installations and globally accessible digital experiences, and an extensive learning programme, which aims to reach millions of schoolchildren. Five other projects from the UNBOXED programme will present activities in Scotland, in addition to Dandelion.

Visit the Dandelion website to find out more about your local ‘edible garden’.

Visit the opportunities page on the Dandelion website to find out more about the ten sites currently taking applications for the role of Musician in Residence.

The full programme of events taking place at each garden will be released in spring.