Buzzy Planters at SWE

Sustainability is a key focus here at SWE and we are proud to hold both the Gold Green Tourism and Green Meetings awards, but we know that there is always more that we can do. That is why we are excited to share with you our new urban garden! We have hand-built planters for each of our departments, and they have been planted with a range of beautiful insect-friendly and edible plants. This project started as, and continues to be a whole team effort, as each department takes care of their own planter.

Our Green Tourism champions are always looking for new ways to ensure SWE is making the most sustainable choices and ways to make our little home on Castlehill more biodiverse.

Ross Morris, our Head of Facilities & IT is the mastermind behind this project:

“We were aware that our outdoor areas and indeed the surrounding streets are sterile stone and tarmac, providing little in the way of habitats for insect and bird life. We had a desire to change this and investigated if a third party could provide and maintain planters containing insect friendly plants, that would also provide a wellbeing aspect for our team.

Surprisingly, this was difficult to source, and costly to implement and maintain. During discussions at our monthly green team meetings, we collectively concluded that we could pool resources already available to us through our staff. The Facilities team, for a small investment in materials, could create bespoke planters fitting the odd shapes in the old school playground and we could support local charities by sourcing our compost from Tiphereth.”

The timber for our planters arrives.

The maintenance team working on building the planters using the timber

The talented maintenance team begin work on building the planters.

The first planters stacked and waiting to be placed

The initial structure for the platers is nearly built.

The first planters placed in the playground

The first planters have been completed.

Tiphereth Compost

To fill our newly built planters, we sourced compost from a local charity, Tiphereth Camphill Community. The Camphill community is dedicated to supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism and upholding the human dignity of each individual.

“Tiphereth is a place where fun, work and care go hand-in-hand.”

Camphill is an international movement that was founded here in Scotland in 1940 by Austrian paediatrician Karl König. Karl started the first community in Aberdeen on the Camphill Estate, which is where the organisation takes its name. Today there are 11 Camphill Communities in Scotland and over 100 in 23 countries across the world.

Compost from Tiphereth is unloaded

Half the work complete!

Morning workout in the sun.

With the planters expertly built by our facilities team, and filled with compost from Tipereth, it was time to bring our little urban garden to life. Ross continues:

“By splitting the planters between the departments, we have invited all staff to take an active part in planting from a selection of seedlings, and starter plants. Within days, bumble bees and hoverflies were pollinating the various plants. Within weeks, the blackbirds were enjoying the best-looking fruits, and within a few months, the staff not only had an attractive space to spend break times, but they could also graze the crops while there.

Amongst the now blooming urban garden we have beans, strawberries, blueberries, peppers, peas and carrots to name but a few, and every herb imaginable available to our Amber restaurant team.

I live in hope that if we manage to get a little late summer sun, the ambitious tomatoes may even ripen!”