Gold Medal and ‘Best in Category’ ‘UCD Evolution of Land Plants garden’ Large garden category 2016

Designed by Nicola Haines and Dr. Caroline Elliott-Kingston UCD

Concept Dr. Paul Mc Cabe UCD

The UCD garden allowed visitors to walk with plants through half a billion years of plant evolutionary history. The show garden told the story of plants moving from water onto land, making land suitable for animals which followed later. The garden was divided into five sections, beginning with ‘Before Land Plants’, followed by four key innovations in land plant evolution; development of plant cuticle, vascular system, seed and flower.
Following Bloom, the garden was reconstructed as a permanent outdoor classroom in the grounds of UCD, where it is used to teach plant evolution and the diversity of plant life on Earth. (See Educational Gardens)