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Gardening bliss!

07/06/2016 | TU Graz news | University

Equipped with the latest gardening tools and sporting blue overalls, Harald Kainz, Rector of Graz University of Technoloy, joined the Urban Gardening Project of the HTU Graz planting chives and basil.

HTU-Chairman Patrik Buchhaus, TU Graz Rectore Harald Kainz and Urban Gardening-Supervisor Stefan Schweighofer
“I have already planted some 30 to 40 plants at home this year”, says TU Graz Rector Harald Kainz while he expertly inserts two chive and basil plants in the humus soil of the raised beds on Stremayrgasse. “With fresh plants you need to compact the surrounding soil to squeeze out the air”, he adds before getting absorbed in his speciality: sprinkling or, as is more common horticultural language, watering the plants. After a good 15 minutes of work, the fragrant herbs are established in their new environment, ready for strong growth in the coming days. 
Rector Harald Kainz joins the Urban Gardening Project at TU Graz.

Urban Gardening

The Urban Gardening Project on the small green next to the bicycle parking spaces between Stremayrgasse 10 and 16 was launched in mid-April. At the initiative of TU Graz Student Union and supervised by Stefan Schweighofer, four off three square metre raised beds made of Styrian larch wood were erected and filled with woodchips, humus and garden soil. “The idea behind Urban Gardening is to revitalise dead surfaces left behind by the increasing trend to urbanisation”, explains Stefan Schweighofer. He specifically emphasises the community aspect: “If you water your own plants, it is worth having a look at the other flowerbeds to see whether they also need water.” Anybody is free to participate in the gardening work and harvest – if you are interested, all you need to do is contact the project team. Gardening tools and a water connection are available.   
Watering the plants.

Information

Information on Urban Gardening at TU Graz can be found on the projects website or on its Facebook Page Urban Gardening at TU Graz.

Contact

Stefan SCHWEIGHOFER
HTU Graz
Rechbauerstraße 12
8010 Graz
stefan.schweighofer@htu.tugraz.at
et.htu.tugraz.at