Biochar compost to help save water in Crabtree & Evelyn’s 'Avant Garden' Chelsea Fringe pop-up

Carbon Gold, the world’s leading biochar company, has provided biochar-based compost for an innovative pop-up herb garden to celebrate the 2013 Chelsea Fringe Festival.

Designed by garden designer and rising star Emma Coleman, ‘The Avant Garden’, a signature project for the Chelsea Fringe, will be positioned on Covent Garden’s West Piazza from 14 May to 9 June.

Water conservation and management is a core theme within the garden’s design. The biochar-based naturally enriched compost from Carbon Gold will save on watering as biochar can absorb up to six times its own weight in water.

The garden is sponsored by Crabtree & Evelyn who are celebrating 15-years of their Gardeners Collection. The planting has been inspired by herbs that feature in the Gardeners Collection including rosemary, thyme and sage. An apple tree, which is native to Britain, will be a central feature.

The Avant Garden project partners – Carbon Gold, The Herb Society and Waterwise – in association with GrowUp Gardening will be on site on allocated days to offer advice to visitors on using enriched biochar in the garden, growing herbs, and conserving water. Visitors will be able to learn and engage with the plants on display via QR codes.

Commenting on the project Craig Sams, founder of Carbon Gold, said: “We are delighted to be part of the Chelsea Fringe Festival. This herb garden offers Londoners a chance to enjoy an accessible slice of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.”

Designer Emma Coleman, said: “I wanted to create an installation with the quality and standards of an RHS Chelsea Show Garden but with a degree of public engagement.”