The Ecosophy Garden
Three for Bees is a partnership project between Townsville City Council, Townsville & District Beekeepers, and the broader community aimed at building awareness and stewardship within the community and contributing towards increasing native and honeybee populations.
The Townsville City Council’s first Ecosophy Garden launched on 20 May 2022 and is located on the corner of 143 Walker Street and Stanley Street in Townsville City. The second Ecosophy Garden which sits opposite the first was launched on 19 May 2023. Both gardens were launched in conjunction with World Bee Day.
Each garden was created to reinvigorate and beautify a prominent city garden bed while also showcasing a pollinator-supportive garden that has:
- flowers, herbs and low-growing native shrubs
- a food and nest environment for bees and pollinators
- an educative environment and sustainable information on signage
- native non-sting bees.
The revamped garden beds are a living, breathing, small-scale ecosystem for plants, which attracts bees, ladybugs, worms, snails and microbes.
The secret recipe to the healthy soil is lots of healthy herbs, flowers, vegetables, shrubs (including natives); healthy nutrient-rich soil; and large measures of community partnerships based on trust, care, love, and fun.
Mulch – Created by local green waste from within Townsville
HumiSoil® - (Donated by Atlas Soils) soil additive made from recycled elements from over 32 Townsville businesses including:
- Cotton from Endeavour Foundation
- Banana peels, mango by-products and pineapple heads from local farms
- Green Waste from TCC Garden Organics Trials
- Coffee from (at the time) 22 local cafes
- Garden organics from local businesses including Reef Assist teams, TCC landscaping contractors and lawn clippings from local service providers
- Food waste from Coles and Woolworths as part of Cleanaway trial works/services
Xlr8® Bio
- Made from local food waste and replacement for synthetic fertiliser
Biochar (Townsville City Council - Reef Assist Partnership Program)
- Produced from combination of TCC Garden Organics, Chinee Apple from Ross River Dam and Leucaena from environmental projects (including First Nations businesses as part of TCC Reef Assist).
Vitachar (Townsville City Council - Reef Assist Partnership Program)
- This is a carbon rich (and carbon negative) soil additive to enhance soil condition. Produced from combination of TCC Garden Organics, Chinee Apple from Ross River Dam and Leucaena from environmental projects (including First Nations businesses as part of TCC Reef Assist).
Wood Smoke Vinegar (Townsville City Council - Reef Assist Partnership Program)
- This is a soil bio stimulant made entirely from waste and is used as an organic pest control product. Produced from a combination of TCC Garden Organics, Chinee Apple from Ross River Dam and Leucaena from environmental projects (including First Nations businesses as part of TCC Reef Assist).
Groundswell® Micro Accelerator (Donated by Atlas Soils)
- Previously known as Liquid Bokashi, Groundswell® Micro Accelerator is a formulation whose function is to stimulate the natural biological reactions responsible for the conversion of organic material.
- Atlas Soils have committed to regularly applying groundswell to the mulch to activate it and help convert is quickly into stable soil carbon.
For more information on encouraging insect pollinators in farm landscapes, download the Powerful Pollinators Guide.
Townsville City Council partners in delivering the Ecosophy Garden are:
