A local university’s ‘Giving Garden’ has become a hub of green generosity. With free cuttings, seedlings and tubers to share, it has supported around 100 community food gardens in Gauteng!
Gauteng, South Africa (21 February 2025) — The University of Pretoria’s Giving Garden has become a true green gem in Gauteng.
With free cuttings, seedlings and tubers of lesser-known and easily grown crop plants to share, the Manie van der Schijff Botanical Garden-based haven has helped support around 100 community food gardens across Gauteng.
From Chaya to Egyptian Walking Onions and Sunchokes to Kei apples, the garden is in no shortage of lesser-considered food sources.
Essentially, the 2,300m garden works as a ‘living library’ of crops. Home and community gardeners who want to cultivate these plants can then visit and take what they need, and the garden coordinates a skills transfer opportunity for both staff and students who want to grow their own food.
Additionally, plant materials are donated regularly to community gardeners, including NGO ABBA Embrace Foundation who support community food gardens to improve household food security.
“Our Giving Garden is both a living garden and a philosophy, through which we introduce gardeners to the potential of orphan and indigenous crop plants as sources of food,” says Richard Hay, Curator of the Future Africa Indigenous and Orphan Crops Collection at the Manie van der Schijff Botanical Garden.
Richard along with Head Curator Jason Samspon, started the Giving Garden in 2022 on land that was previously used for flower identification studies.
And, for those curious about what orphan crops are, these crops that were grown for food in the past, but are seldom cultivated in the present due to various sociopolitical and socioeconomic factors.
“We are always trying to propagate as much crop material as possible with the biggest potential to feed communities,” Richard explains.
“This is done in consultation with communities, to make sure that they would like to grow and eat such plants. This requires interaction with community groups to raise awareness about agro- biodiversity. We help them select crops that are fairly low maintenance and easy enough for even beginner gardeners to grow, yet still yield enough to eat.”
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