Qatar school’s pilot rooftop garden yields unexpected fruit

Students at an international school in Doha have put their green thumbs to use by establishing an unshaded rooftop garden that has flourished over the past months.

The pilot project to grow food and flowers has been such a success that other schools are now being encouraged to try their hand at the idea, which unexpectedly bore fruit during Qatar’s fierce summer.

The four students, who attend International School of London Qatar, have spent months converting the roof of one of their school buildings into a green oasis, growing ornamental plants, flowers and even produce.

Established in May, the garden was fitted with a drip-feed irrigation system. Despite being left unattended for two months in the middle of the summer, it has produced at least five ripe watermelons and melons.

The team had focused mostly on growing ornamental plants and flowers, such as bougainvillea, which they knew would cope with the harsh climate.

But their homemade compost also contained some melon and watermelon seeds, which took root and started growing.

The Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) is now encouraging other schools in the country to try to replicate a similar garden in their spare spaces.

Original article by Lesley Walker

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Qatar school’s pilot rooftop garden yields unexpected fruit