Regenerative City Living Lab gardens are flourishing as students enjoy the harvest

In response to our survey of more than 200 Victoria University community members who told us they want more green space, as part of our Regenerative City Living Lab Garden Hub, we included a range of native and edible plants in the planter boxes. After a couple of months, they have now sprung to life, providing vegetables (including nastursiums, spinach, lettuce and sweet peas) for students to take home. The garden is also being used to demonstrate to students how to propagate cuttings and save seeds.

What’s more, before the urban garden was installed in the communal area at VU, it had places to sit but there were no plants, and apart from the odd insects and birds flying by, was low on biodiversity.

The garden itself is not only introducing new plants to the area but also providing a home for insects including bees, spiders and birds. Over time students will be able to observe and measure the biodiversity of the area.