Sustainable Garden

The Sustainable Garden is a diverse space at the heart of campus for staff, students and visitors to enjoy quiet contemplation as well as contributing to growing an edible community garden for all, with a mix of allotment and forest garden style planting.

An image of the Sustainable Garden

The Sustainable Garden was based on the University’s ‘water@Leeds’ gold award-winning RHS flower show entry. With a mix of a traditional planting areas and raised beds, wildflower areas, soft fruit hedgerows and a forest garden it is a great example of a functioning ecosystem. New accessible planting areas and a mindfulness space are in the process of being added.

The garden features one of the University’s ‘Little Library’ installations where you are free to take a book to read or leave ones that you have finished for others to enjoy. A Little Veg Library sits alongside this, as a space to swap seeds, plants and produce.

You’ll find the Sustainable Garden right in the heart of campus, next to the Roger Stevens Building. Take a look on the campus map. 

Growing food at the heart of campus

A photo of staff and students planting food to grow on campus in our community food growing space

The Sustainable Garden provides a space for staff, students and the wider community to grow their own food and reconnect with food sources. The garden includes medicinal plants, herbs, raised vegetable beds and a forest garden – all providing opportunities for staff and student led food planting on campus. 

Monthly workshops are held in the Sustainable Garden during term time and sessions are open to all. Recent topics have included forest garden design, willow arch building and soft fruit pruning. Head to our Events page or direct to Eventbrite to find out when the next session is and register your place. 

Additional drop in gardening sessions take place during the main growing season. Keep an eye on our social channels for information or email sustainability@leeds.ac.uk. 

The Sustainable Garden also provides opportunities to act as a Living Lab for research projects – if you are interested in using the space for your research then please get in touch. 

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our work on biodiversity is linked to all of the SDGs.