Earlier this year, the University of Liverpool welcomed applications to their 2022 Sustainability Fund to support strategic projects to meet the aims of the University’s Sustainability Strategy, through on campus activity or collaborative partnerships. Liverpool University’s Pressed For Space project was a part of our bid for funding to become the UK’s first carbon neutral University Press. We are delighted to say that our bid was successful and as part of the project, a portion of this money was set aside to create a garden out of the existing courtyard of our office building. We have called this urban regeneration project Pressed For Space.

The idea

The plan was simple: to transform the existing Georgian flagged courtyard into an accessible, usable space for Liverpool University Staff to use and enjoy. All plants and materials would be as locally sourced as much as possible; with an emphasis on pollinator-friendly species, including a mix of edible herbs and shade-tolerating shrubs to maximise the space’s productivity and environmental benefit.

Getting Started

We began by measuring up the site, making careful notes of fire exists, entrances, walls and boundaries to make sure we knew the dimensions of the space before we could order materials and establish a formal layout. We then organised to have the space fully power-washed; cleaning down the walls, gutters and getting rid of the rubbish and weeds to begin the installation of the raised beds.

The Big Plant-Up

Everyone who was able to participate from the LUP team rallied together on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th September to plant up the courtyard. This involved emptying two tonnes of aggregate and four tonnes of compost into the raised beds, lining them with the re-used soil bags to prevent leakages; planting them up, and then finally topping them all up with bark, all locally sourced.

We also put up the handmade LUP birdhouse and feeder to encourage greater diversity of birds and insects from around campus. A second picnic bench was then assembled by our CEO Anthony, and Paul, our PhD intern from Durham University.

Final Stages

After two busy days, the garden was complete! With help from every department at Liverpool University Press; from Books to Journals, Editorial to Marketing and Finance we finished the job in time and under-budget. We were also greatly supported by our friends at The Liverpool Tool Library, through which we borrowed all the tools and equipment to complete the project.

Watch the full video

See the progress from beginning to end via the LUP YouTube channel with the full LUP team who helped create the garden, alongside a whole host of local suppliers who made it happen.

You can take a look at each of the 10 projects which received funding from the University of Liverpool’s Sustainability Fund for 2022 via the website here. Learn more about LUP’s Equity and Sustainability policy here.

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