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  ![](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/gardens/common-ground/primary_image.webp)

  [Gardens](https://gardensdb.com/gardens) / [ BBC Gardeners' World Live 2024 ](https://gardensdb.com/shows/bbc-gardeners-world-live-2024) 

  Beautiful Borders   ![](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/awards/bbc-gardeners-world-live-silver/icon.webp) Silver Award 

 Common Ground 
===============

 Designed by Matthew Cox, Kieran Bird 

 At a glance

  Show BBC Gardeners' World Live 

 Year 2024 

 Category Beautiful Borders 

   Border  

  About this garden

 The story 
-----------

 Since 2021 the community of The Growing Project have adopted a stretch of canalside land in Digbeth which we’ve since named the Common Field. This 1,200m2, post-industrial space holds the history of Digbeth in its soil and as such, contains toxic heavy metals including lead, arsenic and cadmium at levels that are above safe limits for humans and many other animals and plants. Yet despite this, life flourishes here. Humans disturb the soil and new seeds of campion and celandine spring to life, the nettles host thousands of caterpillar diners and the clover, willowherb and achillea bob with pollinators. Among these predictable characters we’ve added phytoremediators; sunflowers and mustard greens, water crowfoot and red fescue. 

  Award

 Recognition 
-------------

- ![](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/awards/bbc-gardeners-world-live-silver/icon.webp) 

     Silver Award 

     BBC Gardeners World Live

  The people behind it

 Designers 
-----------

- [ ![Matthew Cox](https://cdn.gardensdb.com/people/matthew-cox/profile_photo.webp) 

    Matthew Cox

    Designer

     ](https://gardensdb.com/people/matthew-cox)
- [ KB 

    Kieran Bird

    Designer

     ](https://gardensdb.com/people/kieran-bird)

  Brought to life by

 Organisations 
---------------

###  Sponsors 3 

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    Rolawn

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