Eco-Conscious Upper East Side Hotel Grows Its Own Greens in Cape Town

The <a href="http://www.uppereastsidehotel.co.za/">Upper East Side Hotel in Cape Town</a> is growing its own produce on a high terrace just outside of the city center. Eager to serve their clients healthy, fresh greens and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_miles">reduce their food miles</a>, the contemporary boutique hotel in an emergent creative neighborhood commissioned <a href="http://urbanharvest.co.za/">Urban Harvest</a> to develop a terrace garden that suits their particular needs. Since it wasn't feasible to build a fully-developed rooftop garden, the urban farming specialists planted everything from lavender to pineapple sage in 43 sustainably-sourced timber crates that are arranged in three different areas of the hotel's mid-level terrace.

Urban Harvest installed 43 creates full of organic produce on a high terrace at the Upper East Side Hotel in Cape Town

The hotel is located in Woodstock - an emergent creative district just outside of the city center

Everything from lavender to pineapple sage has been planted in the crates

The hotel lobby is just below the terrace garden

The lavender smelled so lovely!

Look how healthy this Swiss Chard is - the benefits of organic farming.

The crates were provided by Urban Harvest and are sustainably-sourced

There are three different sets of crates. This is the latest batch.

As the hotel experiments with their new urban garden, they are finding out what changes need to be made

Fresh basil and parsley adorn this delicious white tomato soup

The basil crumpet was absolutely scrumptious

This wasn't for us, but the chef showed off his freshly cut basil just for us.

Although the hotel has a long way to go, it has taken enormous strides to "green-up"

All of the hotel's waste is recycled

Energy and water conservation measures reduce their overall footprint

Unfortunately, although colorful and chic, there's nothing green about the decor

The hotel is considering starting a garden on a nearby plot

The hotel entrance in a small mixed-use development

This is one of the most reasonably-priced hotels in Cape Town!