A vegetable garden for TU Graz

Soon they’ll be a green and flowering spaces on the small patch of meadow behind the bicycle parking spaces between Stremayrgasse 10 and 16. At the initiative of HTU Graz and led by Stefan Schweighofer, six raised gardening beds made of Styrian larch were put up and filled with wood chips, humus and garden soil in mid-April. Work has been done on implementing this idea for two years – and now after the general refurbishment of the new biomedical engineering building in Stremayrgasse 16 it’s come to fruition. “Actually, we wanted to put up the raised beds on the roof terrace of Kopernikusgasse – but the structural engineer advised against it,” explained project leader Stefan Schweighofer with a smile. So the small meadow with a seating area between the buildings was chosen.  “The basic idea behind urban gardening is to revivify the dead areas caused by creeping urbanisation,” explained Schweighofer, who wants to plant small strawberry plants in the coming days. “Surrounding the beds are lecture halls and laboratories – strawberries will be just right for the breaks,” he grins. 

Gardening pleasure

But there’s still a lot to do till the strawberry harvest. Planting and garden care should become a collective experience in which everyone with a love of gardening can participate. If you’re interested, get in touch with Stefan Schweighofer, then you can plant and garden to your heart’s content. Thinking collectively is also important when looking after the beds: “When you water your own plants, just check if the others need watering, too,” requests Schweighofer. Incidentally, gardening tools are available and can be borrowed from a small tool shed next to the beds. A water main is also going to be installed. 

Harvest

“Everyone is allowed to do some gardening and pluck a strawberry while walking past, even if you’re not involved in looking after the beds,” sums up Schweighofer. Just one rule: just take enough for your own needs. “What fascinates me about urban gardening is that it really works. Without acts of vandalism and with enough people to participate in the gardening and harvest.” Up to now, six persons have reported for gardening duty and reserved a small area of the urban garden. In the case that there are more interested people than room in the raised beds, we’re already considering providing more larch tubs in other areas on the campus.