Community Garden

Growing herbs and vegetables is one of the best ways to relieve stress. Among other benefits, it brings fresh garden produce directly to your table.

However, dense urban areas nowadays make this challenging. At the same time, the concept of community gardens is rapidly spreading worldwide. Such spaces offer opportunities to grow fresh produce while networking with other community members, sharing experiences, organizing workshops, and hosting various events.

In the spring of 2021, we established the EMÜ garden, which supports the implementation of the EMÜ Green University strategy, is based on community garden principles, and allows garden participants to grow their own fresh produce. The EMÜ community garden is a green space for networking, growing, and learning. It is also a public recreational area where people can simply come to enjoy their lunch, for example. Everyone interested is welcome to visit and spend time in the garden, of course expecting responsible and respectful behavior from all.

The idea of the community garden arose from the desire to enliven the EMÜ campus and create a place to practice and demonstrate urban gardening possibilities. The garden can also host study days and other gardening-related events. Benches located in the garden’s greenery provide a place to rest. There is also a tool cabinet and compost bins, designed in the same style, near the planting beds.

The planting beds are arranged following permaculture principles, meaning plants grow mixed together and support each other. In the EMÜ garden, we follow organic farming principles, meaning synthetic pesticides and mineral fertilizers are not used; instead, we support our plants with quality manure and natural plant protection methods. The garden’s fence is a hedge made from blackcurrant varieties developed at EMÜ’s Polli Horticultural Research Centre, including the Karri, Elo, and Mairi cultivars. Many thanks to Polli for the seedlings and to Gardest for the soil!

Urban gardeners usually come from various nationalities and include EMÜ students and staff. Each bed has a responsible owner who ensures the bed is tidy, plants are watered, and weeds are kept under control. Participation in the garden is voluntary, and EMÜ supported gardeners in establishing the garden and coordinating activities. Each bed has a sign introducing its caretaker and describing what is grown there. Gardeners chose plants for their beds based on species suitable for Estonia’s climate as well as desired produce to grow and consume by hand. Some beds also involve the gardeners’ children, who learn how to grow food and see the effort behind what ends up on their plates. Flowers are planted among the vegetable beds to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects, as well as to provide visual enjoyment.

Among EMÜ gardeners are both beginners growing something for the first time and lifelong gardening enthusiasts. The community garden is coordinated by volunteers and the Green University working group.

To ensure a pleasant atmosphere and sustainability in the community garden, please remember:

• The community garden is established and maintained by volunteers, so it is important to act responsibly.
• Planting beds are personal. Each owner is responsible for the wellbeing of the plants in their bed throughout the season.
• Community garden members are polite and dedicated vegetable growers.
• Organic farming principles are followed in the community garden, meaning synthetic pesticides and mineral fertilizers are not used.