Behind Campus Groenenborger lies a beautiful piece of nature, where the university created a community garden last year. This garden brings UAntwerp students and lecturers in contact with the elderly residents of an assisted-living facility and the children of a kindergarten nearby. Delicious herbs, fruit, vegetables, young trees, beautiful flowers… the garden has been in full bloom for a year now and is constantly expanding.
Maggy Goosssens (Faculty of Applied Engineering) used to look out onto a dreary plot of fallow land behind Building Z at Campus Groenenborger every day. With the university’s climate plan in mind, she decided to give the place a new purpose, and became the co-founder of this project. Together with the neighbouring assisted-living facility DC Oosterveld and the Pius X kindergarten, UAntwerp created a community garden on the plot in the spring of 2020.
Gardening: an activity for all ages
‘The aim of this garden was to create an environmentally friendly meeting place for both young and old’, says Maggy. The project’s aim was to bring together students, lecturers, staff, children and the elderly. And she succeeded – the project was an instant hit.
In no time, the community garden began to take shape. Maggy and her team received help from various quarters. The Posthof community centre made wooden boxes to plant the crops in, while the gardening apprentices at Stedelijk Onderwijs gave some pointers and helped with planting new plants. The elderly residents of DC Oosterveld and the Pius X kindergarteners also contributed.
Several of the residents regularly watered the plants and were happy to help tend the garden. Maggy says it’s wonderful to see how closely these people work together and how everyone treats the garden with respect. In other words, it’s a real community garden!
Sweet pickings
The garden is already producing herbs, pumpkins, rocket, tomatoes, rhubarb and sweet potatoes… and it’s still growing. There are shrubs and bushes with different berries, all-but-forgotten crops like sorrel and chard, as well as beautiful young trees and lots of colourful flowers.
Cycling from garden to garden
The university is currently creating a second community garden at Campus Drie Eiken. Maggy hopes that the other campuses will soon follow suit. She also has some exciting news for us: in May 2021, Antwerp city council will launch a cycling route between various community gardens in the city. Cyclists can discover hidden gems and enjoy some healthy treats. ‘The garden is for everyone. Pick and taste as much as you want, but with respect and within reason.’
In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, the community garden has become a big success. Maggy, for one, is thrilled that she and her students now have a view of a lovely piece of nature.
