Out of the Box | Cultivating plants and friendships

Who: Kane Lindsay, Chinese Language Autumn Course, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Experience: Participating in community gardening

British student Kane Lindsay arrived at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University to explore his interest in China’s language and culture. He didn’t expect he’d also get to indulge his childhood passion for gardening.

After starting in the University’s Chinese Language Autumn Course, Lindsay quickly discovered the XJTLU Sunset Garden, a green community space on the balcony of the EB building, so called because it provides the best view of sunset on campus. The garden attracts staff members and students to engage in various activities, such as growing plants and vegetables, painting, and handicrafts.

“My passion for gardening was nurtured by my grandmother, who taught me how to plant different types of vegetables and plants when I was very young,” he says.

Kane shares experiences about botanic gardens in a workshop on winter gardening

Lindsay has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Liverpool in the UK and a master’s in Computer Vision from the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, in Abu Dhabi. In 2024, he interned at Kew Gardens, the world-famous royal botanic gardens in London.

Kane prepares raised beds for vegetable planting

“At Kew Gardens, I assisted in using artificial intelligence to analyse data from millions of digitised plant images,” he says. “This is how I found a way to combine computer science with my personal interest in gardening.

Lindsay is continuing on this path: Loughborough University, in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, has offered him a PhD position. He will study use of AI and large language models for precision plant specimen image analysis.

Growing together

In the community garden, Lindsay used his years of green-fingered experience to run workshops, guiding fellow students on how to care for different plants.

“Coming from the city, many students at my workshop had never looked after a plant before. It was exciting and satisfying for me to see the students doing it for the first time, because they get to watch the plants grow and come back every week to see the progress,” he says.

The activities also allowed him to become closer to other students and make friends with people not only from China, but also from around the world including Russia, Kazakhstan, and Germany.

“My experience at XJTLU allowed me to see life through the lens of another culture. I feel more motivated to grow my interests into further research and continue to pursue unique global opportunities and connections.

“Through this process, I’ve also improved my public speaking and teaching skills,” he adds.

Kane demonstrating legume propagation in a student workshop

Lindsay also highlighted the influence of Dr Ying Chang, Associate Professor at the Department of Urban Planning and Design and a key supporter of the Sunset Garden, pointing out that she’s “so motivating and always excited to see the students sharing their experiences”.

In addition to XJTLU students and staff, residents from nearby communities have also contributed to building the garden. Lindsay says one of his favourite memories from XJTLU is when residents from Jiangcun (Kaixiangong Village) gave him a homemade bag.

Kane discussing local crafts with guests from Jiangcun

Natural healing

For Lindsay, learning to connect with nature not only provides practical knowledge and skills but also brings various health benefits.

“It’s good for your physical health because you don’t realise you’re doing so much exercise while you’re gardening. There are so many things you’re moving around, putting in the ground, or picking up, but it doesn’t feel like exercise – it just feels fun,” he says.

“It also benefits your mental health, as it helps you focus on the present, rather than worrying about other things like your phone or computer. Besides, there are certain compounds in the soil that you breathe in while digging around, and these can be good for your brain.”

Vegetables planted by Kane Lindsay and XJTLU students

As he introduces the garden’s layout and plants, Lindsay points to a spot where some vegetables had been growing well.

“The garden traps a lot of sunlight and is very warm, even in winter. It’s really an advantage for growing plants and vegetables,” he says. “To me, this is the most lovely place to watch the sun go down over the buildings. You can hear the wind chimes and see the plants blowing in the breeze. It’s a very relaxing place to be.”

 

By Yi Qian and Zhen Ma

Edited by staff editor

Photos by Yi Qian and Zhen Ma