Spain, 9 – 10 February 2015

The workshop “Seeds in Recycled Containers” took place on 9 and 10 February 2015 as part of the programme of public activities that has been carried out in Cordoba.

The actual workshop was scheduled for Saturday, 9 February, at 16h in the afternoon, but a lot of planning took place beforehand. Several recycled containers (water bottles, milk cartons, vegetable wooden boxes, etc.) had been sowed and planted with onions, lettuces, several types of cabbages and other vegetables a month before the workshop. The containers were used as samples during the workshop and then they were given as gifts to the participants to take home with them.

It was a chilly morning on the day of the workshop. We waited for the night dew to dissipate and then we began with our preparations. The materials were distributed over several tables. Organic seeds and seedlings, the sample containers, and everything needed was arranged so that participants could sow the seeds and plant the seedlings in the containers that they brought and in those provided by the organization. Everything was set up ready for the participants to take part.

The participants were shown how to:

  • ensure adequate draining of a recycled container.
  • prepare the soil.
  • choose the depth at which a seed needs to be sowed, which has to be the same as the size of the seed.

At the end of the day, the twenty participants were very pleased with their efforts and they were happy to have sown and planted new life into old recycled containers. A variety of edible plants and vegetables had been sown and the participants were able to take home the produce and continue tending and nurturing it themselves.

It was very practical to learn how to use waste material such as water bottles or milk cartons and turn them into flowerpots from which we can harvest our own vegetables at home. We can have our own vegetable patches where we can cheaply and ecologically grow some food for ourselves and our friends and families.