Overview
On Saturday, 5 November, 2016, fifteen gardening enthusiasts joined the SAF community to participate in an exciting and informative workshop about vertical gardening. The workshop was facilitated by guest workshop leader Mr Moses Joseph, a gardening enthusiast himself.
After a brief introduction about the importance and simplicity of vertical gardens, the workshop leader focused on the themes of recycling, sustainability and the addition of nature in small spaces at a minimum cost. Then, with workshop tasks divided among the participants, the planting began. First, participants filled makeshift planting pots made from recycled materials such as plastic bottles with soil mixed with perlite. Mr Moses demonstrated how to presoak the soil and explained why overwatering is a bad idea. Next, the group moved on to planting seeds and small plants in the recycled pots. Participants took the small plants out of their original containers, gently shook them and then placed them in the new soil, ensuring that the soil was compacted to retain moisture. The final step was to use zip ties to fix the newly planted pots onto a hoisted trellis, which created a support structure for the vertical garden. The end result was a beautiful vertical plant nursery that complements the trees, bushes and flowers already in the SAF Urban Garden.
