Over the years the BBC’s Ground Force programme has led millions of fans down more than 130 garden paths, creating backyard paradises in just days and teaching viewers along the way about different ‘plant practices’ from around the world.
The Africa Garden is the team’s final creation. Over the summer, visitors will be able to explore the Museum and the garden, finding connections between the plants and the cultures they come from. The garden includes flora from three African climate zones – desert, tropical and temperate – informed by Ground Force’s work in Ethiopia, Morocco and their garden for Nelson Mandela in South Africa. It also features contemporary sculptures by African artists – from Mozambique to Ghana – including work specially commissioned by Ground Force.

You can find more contemporary African art, alongside outstanding objects of African heritage, in the Museum’s African Galleries (Room 25), including work by the artists represented here.

The Africa Garden is part of a major collaboration between the BBC and the British Museum in support of Africa 05.

The final Ground Force programme, ‘A Garden for Africa 05’, will be broadcast on BBC 1 on Sunday 24 July at 17.50. The Volunteers’ Story will show on the Community Channel on Sunday 24 July at 18.50.