Unexpected Gardens - Dandelion
Dandelion / Programme

Unexpected Gardens

A group of people outdoors in front of a brick building sitting and standing holding gardening tools

We planted edible gardens in 13 locations across Scotland – transforming unused land and unexpected places into flourishing growing and event spaces

About

Dandelion’s Unexpected Gardens stand as living, breathing and growing proof that even the unlikeliest places can blossom and bloom. Springing up in all sorts of surprising spots across Scotland, from the Borders to the Highlands to the Islands, they were spaces to grow – but also places to gather, hosting events, activities, workshops and performances. To find out what went on at each garden, visit the What's On Archive section.

Our Gardens

A closeup of a pair of hands picking off petals from a dandelion flower. One finger is adorned with a decorative ring bearing three tumbled gemstones. The fingernails are painted red. The background shows a pile of yellow petals.

Unexpected Garden: Rich, Rich Soil - Hawick

Unexpected Garden: Hawick 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022
Wild flower meadow with white, pink and yellow flowers and green grasses

Unexpected Garden: An Gàrradh, Uist

Unexpected Garden: An Gàrradh 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022

Unexpected Garden: Stranraer

Unexpected Garden: Stranraer 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022

Unexpected Garden: The Drying Green, Greenock

Unexpected Garden: The Drying Green - A Story Growing Garden 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022
A garden with raised beds and a performance stage decorated with hanging baskets and colourful plants.

Unexpected Garden: Caithness

Unexpected Garden: Caithness 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022
The words Grow & Share in large and brightly coloured letters are attached to a fence in a garden. There are raised beds and wooden barrels in the foreground that are heaving with plants.

Unexpected Garden: The Orchard, Leven

Unexpected Garden: The Orchard, Leven 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022

Unexpected Garden: Govan, Glasgow

Unexpected Garden: Govan 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022
Image of the floating garden in a waterway. There is a big, colourful structure at on a green canalboat. A banner says: Dandelion. The landscape in the background is lush and filled with greenery,

The Floating Garden

Lambhill Stables 21 Jun 2022
The Floating Garden: The Kelpies 9 Jul - 11 Sep 2022
A group of gardeners holding gardening equipment in an outdoor alleyway surrounded by daffodils and plants in containers and pots

Unexpected Garden: Forres

Unexpected Garden: Forres 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022
Growing beds with people harvesting lettuce. There is a big outdoor tent in the background.

Unexpected Garden: The Field, Alness

Unexpected Garden: The Field 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022
A sculptural garden arch in a flourishing garden with views over a bay of water. A gravel path leads through the garden towards a wooden gazebo.

Unexpected Garden: Edinburgh

Unexpected Garden: Edinburgh 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022
Raised beds in a garden

Unexpected Garden: Fair Growing Green, Dundee

Unexpected Garden: Dundee 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022
A picture depicting raised beds at different levels with plants by a red stone house wall. The raised beds are made out of wood with accent colours in red, orange, yellow and blue. There are plants growing in the raised beds and hanging baskets with flowers are attached to the wall.

Unexpected Garden: Argyll

Unexpected Garden: Argyll - Centre 81 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022
Unexpected Garden: Argyll - Cove Sailing Club 28 Apr - 11 Sep 2022

Discover more programmes

See all
Graphic Image with text reading 'Dandelion Festivals'

Dandelion Festivals

Two free festivals in Glasgow and Inverness bookended the summer featuring live music, performance, talks, workshops, science and plant giveaways.

Three performers in brightly coloured clothing pose in a field.

Free for Alls

80,000 free plants were given away by our towering Flower Singer, so that absolutely anyone could give growing a go.

rowing cube containing plants situated in a cave, the lighting is moody and there are native and wild growing plants in the foreground.

Cubes of Perpetual Light

Our glowing, growing cubes were seen by 96,000 people on their journey across Scotland.

Five people in a garden are smiling at the camera. There is a wildflower patch behind them and a wheelbarrow holding produce from the garden in the foreground. The people are smiling and holding different objects: a rake, a pitchfork, weeder, guitar and a super-8 film camera.

Harvest

Dandelion culminated in in over 500 events as part of the largest-ever creative celebration of Harvest staged across Scotland.

A person walking outdoors in a grassy field with a stone cottage ruin in the background

Heisgeir - Film

Our story began with our launch film in April 2022 – not in the city, a town or even a farm, but on a tiny island in the very far north-west of Scotland.

School children pointing and looking at a growing cube containing plants

Schools Growing Initiative

468 schools, over 100 Grow Cubes, tonnes of tatties – one big growing experiment.

Join Dandelion and get growing

Sign up to receive Dandelion emails about our programme and learn how you can get growing.

Marketing preferences
Consent(Required)