Chilli Growing Competition!

Denise Hebborn writes about their office plant growing competition and her advice if you'd like to do the same.

I work for UCL’s division of Finance and Business Affairs, and have been based at Bidborough House for over a year now – prior to that we were at 1-19 Torrington Place. I got into sustainability three years ago, when I joined UCL and my manager asked me if I wanted to lead the division's Green Team; I embraced the challenge and have been leading our Green Team ever since!

In order to encourage staff to keep plants in the office, we hold a plant-growing competition each year; two years ago we had tomatoes, last year we had strawberries, and this year we’ve got chillies! This year the competition is extra special because we’ve teamed up with UCL’s Communications and Marketing teams, and the Office of the Vice-Provost (Advancement) 

Having plants in the office is great for a number of reasons:

1. They improve indoor air quality and make rooms more comfortable by slightly increasing humidity levels;
2. They can reduce stress;
3. They keep the environment at the forefront of our minds.

Our competition really brings teams together each year, and the plants provide a great talking point for colleagues who don’t otherwise have a reason to speak. Green-fingered colleagues share their knowledge, and not-so-green-fingered colleagues learn something new!

Of the three plants we’ve gone for over the past few years, the strawberries have been the least resilient – they easily succumb to greenflies, and are very sensitive to light and water (or lack thereof). If you’re thinking of running a similar initiative yourselves, I’d definitely recommend going for tomatoes or chillies instead! In terms of purchasing, both Camden Garden Centre and the Boma Garden Centre in Kentish Town are great, inexpensive and have super friendly staff.

If you’d like any further advice or support, please do not hesitate to get in touch by email d.hebborn@ucl.ac.uk