The Legacy of Chelsea: It IS Rocket Science!



I was pleased to see science had a strong showing at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, with 2 amazing gold-winning show gardens in the Fresh category which took the subject outside of the Great Pavilion for a change.

However, it was an exhibit inside which I really liked as it chimed with the experimental side of my gardening. The picture shows part of the Rocket Science exhibit which told the story of how man will have to find ways of growing food in space if our exploration is to go to Mars and beyond.

I've left the cast on my photograph as it illustrates the special LED lighting needed to maximise plant growth. There's also a special hydroponic system set up to squeeze as many plants as possible in a small space and to ensure they have all the nutrients and water they need within the closed growing system.

What made this exhibit most exciting for me is it's tied in with an inspirational experiment schools are invited to join. 2 kilos of rocket seed are set to be sent to the International Space Station for six months, where they will whizz above the earth at 17,000 kilometres per hour.

They will then be brought back to earth by British astronaut Tim Peake and distributed to participating schools. They will grow their seeds alongside a batch which stayed earth-bound for the duration, to see if there are any differences between the two.

As someone whose first attempt at growing involved radishes and insecticides, I'm envious of the half a million or so schoolchildren who will be taking part. The project starts in earnest at the start of the next school year in September, but you can register now on the Rocket Science page on the RHS Campaign for School Gardening website.

My thanks to Jonathan Ward, who was involved in designing and staging the exhibit and was my guide at the show. He also tells me that had it been eligible for judging (RHS sponsored exhibits are excluded), it would have garnered a well-deserved gold.

Update: A special welcome to everyone who's come over from How Does Your Garden Grow at Mammasaurus. I've had some great comments from you thanks, and I hope it leads to more schools signing up for this exciting project.

 Update January 2016: The Rocket Science experiment is getting plenty of publicity now Tim Peake is at the International Space Station. This news from NASA shows they're growing flowers too.

 Update November 2016: The results of the Rocket Science experiment are revealed. There was a slight effect on the seeds flown in space compared to those which stayed earth bound.

Comments

  1. Pauline26 May 2015 at 14:42

    I can imagine that lots of children will be very excited at growing seeds that have been to outer space, what a fantastic way to encourage them that gardening really can be fun!

    ReplyDelete
  2. VP26 May 2015 at 19:47

    Exactly Pauline :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mammasaurus28 May 2015 at 11:16

    Such an innovative initiative, I'm sure that will capture the interest of school children. Now I wonder how I can sneak back into the classroom to get my hands on some of those rocket seeds...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP30 May 2015 at 09:04

      Same here, Mammasaurus, this is just what's needed to inspire children.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous28 May 2015 at 15:08

    Thats so amazing! Seeds and astronauts don't go together normally and yet in this project they do! Amazing project. #hdygg

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP30 May 2015 at 09:06

      There's been some experiments with growing lettuce on the space station, so it seems the problem of food supply and space travel is being seriously looked into

      Delete
  5. EJGreenwood28 May 2015 at 19:42

    This looks great, I saw it on the TV and what a project!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unknown28 May 2015 at 21:01

    This sounds like a fantastic project!! Striking display too with the lights :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP30 May 2015 at 09:08

      Those lights have an application for here too. It seems different light colours affects plants in different ways. It's fascinating.

      Delete
  7. Katie28 May 2015 at 21:05

    Super cool experiment. That first shot looks out of this world. One would not look out of place in a Star Trek outfit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP30 May 2015 at 09:11

      Come to think of it, did we ever see anyone eating on Star Trek...

      Delete
  8. Unknown28 May 2015 at 21:47

    What a great project - my kids are in the school gardening club so now I want to find out if they're going to be participating!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jibberjabberuk29 May 2015 at 23:05

    This one part of Chelsea you don't see on the television coverage. I'll have to tell my daughter about the schools project as she is in the gardening club.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP30 May 2015 at 09:15

      It's a fantastic project, I hope your daughter gets to take part :-)

      Delete
  10. chickenruby30 May 2015 at 05:45

    what a fab experiment and so great that so many children through their schools get to take part

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP30 May 2015 at 09:17

      Makes me want to take part too :-)

      Delete
  11. Stephanie 139a31 May 2015 at 13:58

    Nature's wonderful isn't it - and when it's augmented with science it's truly awesome. Love the rocket planting idea, I like to eat it but I admit I think the flowers are prettier :) #hdygg

    ReplyDelete

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