Sydney is a city known for its stunning green spaces – from the world-renowned Botanic Garden on the banks of the harbour to hidden gems deep within the city – but there’s only one garden made from kitchen-cleaning equipment, and it’s over in the east at Randwick Community Garden. The world-first dish sponge garden has been brought to life thanks to a partnership with regenerative designer and horticulturalist Benoit Luc and Koh, an eco-certified cleaning brand.
The concept for the garden was born when the Koh team realised some of their biodegradable dish sponges were reaching the end of their shelf lives. Not content with the idea of adding the sponges to landfill, the team began workshopping ways to repurpose the wool pulp-based sponges, and they settled on creating the world’s first dish sponge garden. Super-absorbent and made from entirely natural materials, the sponges act as the perfect wicking system – storing water and gradually releasing nutrients back into the soil.
If you’re in the area, you can visit the Randwick Community Garden and see the sponges in action through transparent planter beds – where the natural water-banks are embedded within the soil to provide consistent hydration to the earth.
Designed in partnership with Benoit Luc (a horticulturist and designer whose holistic, regenerative approach is inspired by Indigenous land management practices) the Randwick trial is the first known dish sponge garden in the world, but spearheaded by Community Gardens Australia, it could be introduced in community gardens throughout Sydney and beyond.
The project in Randwick is a world-first, turning commercial waste destined for landfill into a long-term, useful gardening resource. Naomi Lacey, President of Community Gardens Australia explained, “Our role is to connect community gardeners across Australia, fostering social development and sustainable urban land use while promoting better health, community building, climate action, waste reduction, and education.”
“The Sponge Garden project with Koh provides an exciting opportunity to educate community gardeners and the public about conscious consumption, recycling and regenerative horticulture using methods such as the wicking bed design,” she added.
If you’re keen to see the ‘Sponge Garden’ in action, you can head over to Randwick Community Garden, Munda St, Randwick. And if you want to get your own self-watering sponge garden going at home, you can check out the guide (and stock up on sponges) over here.
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