The Hepworth Wakefield

Cultivate is a propagation programme and ‘scoop and serve’ plant stall for The Hepworth Wakefield Garden. Transforming previously composted plant material from the Garden into an innovative new income stream, Cultivate will support the ongoing care of the space and ensure it remains an urban oasis for all.

In a radical and sustainable new approach to plant sales, a bespoke, architect-designed ‘scoop and serve’ plant stall will enable the gallery’s Cultural Gardener and volunteers to collect and propagate baby seedlings from the garden in shallow sand beds. The seedlings will be scooped and sold to the public bare-root in recycled cardboard coffee cups, letting visitors take a living piece of the garden home with them, without the environmental impacts of plastic pots and heavy growing media.

The idea came about when gallery visitors would see the gardeners micro weeding self seeded plants, some to be relocated as new propagated plants and some to be composted. Visitors would often ask if they could take a seedling home with them – and the team spotted an opportunity to create a no-cost, waste-free income generator.

Cultivate offers an ecologically friendly model for plant propagation and distribution, which will help safeguard the future care of the Garden, create new volunteering opportunities, and educate audiences about the plastic waste involved in plant sales. The project will extend beyond the boundaries of The Hepworth Wakefield’s site, seeding new growth in people’s homes and gardens and inspiring more sustainable practice across the sector.

Named after Barbara Hepworth, one of the most important artists of the 20th century, who was born and grew up in Wakefield, The Hepworth Wakefield presents significant exhibitions of international modern and contemporary art and has dedicated galleries exploring Hepworth’s art and process. The David Chipperfield-designed building is also home to Wakefield’s nationally significant, growing art collection.

The Hepworth Wakefield Garden, designed by internationally acclaimed landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, is a beautiful, flower-filled space, free for everyone to enjoy. Since opening in 2019, it has become a well-loved and much-used green space for the gallery’s local communities, whilst attracting horticultural enthusiasts from around the world. The Garden hosts a rolling programme of sculptures by world-class artists including Barbara Hepworth, Sir Michael Craig-Martin and Kim Lim, and is an important resource for the gallery’s award-winning learning and engagement work.