Tim Smit
Tim Smit CBE, co-founder and visionary driving force behind the Eden Project – Britain’s most groundbreaking horticultural creation and visitor attraction dubbed “the eighth wonder of the world” – will be bringing his inifinite energy, expertise and charisma to a special event at Port Eliot’s inaugural Flower Show.
Born in the Netherlands, Tim worked in the music industry as a songwriter and producer before moving to Cornwall. In 1987 he met John Nelson and together they restored the Lost Gardens of Heligan, which was voted the Nation’s Favourite Garden in 1997. The gardens inspired Tim to write his first book The Lost Gardens of Heligan (1997), which won the Illustrated Book of the Year at the 1997 British Book Awards. He soon went on to publish Heligan: Secrets Lost in Silence (1998) and The Heligan Vegetable Bible (2000), co-written with Philip McMillan Browse.
With the success of Heligan behind him, Tim, who is often referred to as ‘The Richard Branson of Cornwall’, looked for an even bigger challenge on which to focus his ambitions. He found it in the Eden Project, which he helped open to the public in 2000 and is perhaps the finest example of how to make big ideas a reality. Its achievements are unprecedented and have led to all manner of praise and awards for Tim, including the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism from the English Tourism Council in 2000 and an Honorary CBE in 2002. His book, Eden (2005) was described by The Sunday Times as “inspiring…an invaluable guide to how a large project can succeed against all odds”.
“Inspiring…An invaluable guide to how a large project can succeed against all odds.”
The Sunday Times
“Smit is a truly driven individual who does not give up until he has accomplished his visionary goals.”
The Times
