Fresh herbs, microgreens, indoor plants, and other vegetation are currently growing inside a mall in Metro Manila.
Located at SM Aura Premier’s Skypark is Boxes of Greens, a sustainable greenhouse envisioned to serve the Taguig community and its neighboring cities. It is the first fully-operational herb garden situated inside a mall—a take-off from the urban gardening concept.
Indoor plants, fresh herbs, and vegetables that grow in the urban garden include calamansi, tomatoes, siling panigang, eggplants, chilis, hot and sweet pepper, basil, peppermint, coriander, tarragon, thyme, and lemongrass.
Built and run by Tulay Lingap ni Padre Pio, Boxes of Greens also offers mallgoers weekend workshops about the growing and upkeep of plants, in a bid to inspire children and adults alike to care and appreciate nature.
Through SM Aura’s partnership with Tulay Lingap ni Padre Pio, all Boxes of Greens proceeds will go to building schools, planting trees, providing emergency assistance during disasters, and developing feeding and medical clinics for the underprivileged.
Likewise benefiting from the garden’s earnings are the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan graduates—scholars of the SM Foundation—who will be leading the urban garden’s day-to-day activities.
Boxes of Greens is the first step in SM Aura Premier’s Lush Initiative: a green movement that creates awareness about the environment and inspires change through becoming the country’s first mall to initiate a zero-waste culture.
Joining the launch of the in-mall garden were Taguig City Councilor on Committee on Environmental Protection and Ecology Edwin Eron, Tulay Lingap ni Padre Pio director Father Eduardo Dumaual, and SM Foundation’s Debbie Sy, Linda Atayde, and Cristy Angeles.
Celebrities who advocate for the protection and preservation of the environment, such as WWF Philippines Ambassador Iza Calzado, environmentalist Rovilson Fernandez, and TV and movie actress Rhian Ramos, also took part in the event. Also present during the launch were Miss Philippines Eco-tourism Halimatu Yushawu, Miss Philippines Water 2018 Berjayneth Chee, Miss Philippines Earth 2018 Sylvia Celeste Cortesi, Miss Philippines Fire 2018 Jean Nicole de Jesus, and Miss Philippines Air 2018 Zahra Bianca Saldua.
Boxes of Greens is open during mall hours.