Friends of the Earth Malta (FoEM) is thrilled to announce that its community garden has achieved a new national record: the tallest sunflower in Malta, reaching the height of 3.6 metres. This is a remarkable milestone that reflects not only the hard work of our team but also the power of sustainable, locally driven gardening.
“We are overjoyed,” said Michelangelo Galea, Community Garden and Environmental Facilities Coordinator Friends of the Earth Malta. “This sunflower is a testament to what a few seeds, healthy soil, and community care can grow. It shows that with proper attention to organic practices, our plants can reach new heights.”
The NGO established The Giving Garden, its community garden, in 2018 having rehabilitated an abandoned British-era building to house its offices and outdoor space. Set in Floriana, the urban community garden is a place where the NGO invites people to come together and learn to grow crops, herbs and indigenous plants using nature-friendly and organic practices.
Once a month during the cooler periods of the year, Michelangelo leads educational workshops about gardening, beekeeping and permaculture. The NGO also collaborates with local companies to teach their staff about urban gardening, to encourage team building and to empower employees to carry out similar practices at home.
Ultimately the Giving Garden is part of FoEM’s wider work on Food, Agriculture and Biodiversity, seeking to also promote the importance of fresh and healthy local food, and also highlight the importance of pollinators as keystone species. As the NGO celebrates its 40th anniversary as an organisation, FoEM underscores the importance of community events as an educational resource.
To keep up to date with on-going events, community opportunities and news, the NGO encourages the public to sign up for its newsletter: https://www.foemalta.org/signup.