COMPANION PLANTING
An early stage, in development, social planting project. Originally commissioned by Queer Kernow and Decoder Arts as part of KOMPAS, an LGBTQIA+ Cornish arts and heritage programme in 2025. Companion Planting re-activates the gardening pages of Outback, a newsletter for Lesbians and Queer women in the rural South West. Outback was distributed from 1996-2009 and is now archived at Kresen Kernow.
In the form of a repurposed 1950’s foldable seating set and climate friendly growing tools, Companion Planting Invites visitors to take the first steps towards growing one of the 55 plants mentioned in Outback- fostering connection between historical and real time LGBTQIA+ growing in the county.
PHOTOGRAPHS by Ellie Neil, Ellie Roser, SHARP and scans from the project’s Garden Journal, where participants can contribute their personal reflection on queerness and planting.