World Vision Recalls Ethiopian Famine Thirty Years on at BBC Gardener's World Live

Birmingham, United Kingdom, June 13, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Inspired by the 30th anniversary of the devastating Ethiopian famine, the World Vision garden celebrates the transformation there - especially in the famine-hit Antsokia Valley, once a barren dustbowl, and now a thriving oasis that exports food.

The second in a trilogy of evolving gardens, an aid crate that first landed at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, has now fallen open at BBC Gardener's World Live, showcasing a forest of tall, mature tree trunks.

As visitors approach the garden, mirrors on the floor and ceiling will ensure they see a seemingly infinite wood.

The crate is surrounded by 3m timber poles to reinforce the impression of a dense forest and 1,000 potted saplings are dotted around the garden.

These represent the 10 million trees planted by World Vision in the Antsokia Valley over the past three decades, and serve as a reminder that sustainable horticulture benefits generations to come.

Following the first vital food aid and medicine in the 1980s, World Vision provided trees to help encourage agro-forestry.

These trees restored fertility to the soil for surrounding crops and now help prevent soil erosion, provide fuel and feed for livestock as well as increase the absorption of standing water and reduce the breeding ground for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

They also supply nuts and berries offering a wider diet and less reliance on grain crops or animals.

At the end of the show, the 1,000 tree saplings will be given to visitors to encourage more trees to be planted in the UK.

The BBC GWL show garden is one of three World Vision gardens designed for the flower show season. A stand-alone installation began the narrative at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the final show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show continues the story.