Category: Nature > Garden
District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > Alvalade
The Garden of Donated Plants is located in the Alvalade neighbourhood, in the city of Lisbon. This green space is peculiarly integrated into the urban fabric, occupying transformed street planters. Its visible and accessible position in the daily life of a residential area allows for close observation of the flora and the concept that originated it.
Integrated into the urban fabric, the garden offers a natural counterpoint to the surrounding architecture, contributing to the area's aesthetics and providing a more inviting environment. It is an example of how greenery can flourish in the heart of a city environment.
The story of the Garden of Donated Plants began around 2020, initiated by a resident passionate about botany, Nuno Prates. He decided to transform a neglected and lifeless street planter located in front of his study space. What was an abandoned public space became the starting point for the creation of a vibrant place of biodiversity.
The project reflects the desire to restore some natural beauty and functionality to forgotten urban spaces, transforming them through an individual gesture that would have a broader impact on the community.
The name "Jardim das Plantas Doadas" (Garden of Donated Plants) originates from how much of its flora was acquired. Many of the species flourishing here were rescued, abandoned, or offered plants by people who could no longer keep them in their homes. This concept of sharing and giving plants a second chance is central to the garden's identity.
What began as a personal initiative evolved, becoming a model for participatory urban gardening. After some initial challenges, the acceptance and support of the local community were crucial, leading to the creation of a regulation that allows residents to apply for a license to care for public planters, thus fostering a network of urban garden "guardians."
Despite being a street garden, the Garden of Donated Plants surprises with the remarkable diversity and exoticism of its species. Here you can find side-by-side plants normally associated with tropical environments or indoor spaces, such as banana trees, coffee plants, various ferns, orchids, and monsteras, including the popular Swiss Cheese Plant.
Some of these monsteras even bear edible fruits, with a flavour reminiscent of a combination of pineapple and banana, a true surprise for those strolling through this green corner. This botanical richness, coexisting harmoniously, demonstrates the vitality that can be achieved in urban spaces of modest dimensions.
This garden is not just a place of beauty, but also a model of sustainability for the urban environment. Its design and the way the plants are arranged allow species to protect each other, optimizing water use. The garden can be maintained with minimal watering, consuming considerably fewer water resources than a traditional lawn, even during the summer months.
In addition to water efficiency, the Garden of Donated Plants actively contributes to improving the environmental quality of the neighbourhood. The density of the vegetation helps produce oxygen and clean the atmosphere, showing how small-scale projects can have a significant positive impact on urban quality of life and the promotion of biodiversity right in the city.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.74678929251522, -9.135238813384143
Coordinates DMS: 38°44'48.4"N 09°08'6.9"W
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