WaterUps partnership to create water-wise, resilient gardens

• This new partnership will help schools and early childhood services create sustainable, water‑efficient gardens. 

• All Kitchen Garden Program members will receive exclusive pricing, offers and expert advice. Plus, new Kitchen Garden Program members will receive a free WaterUps Square Planter. 

• The partnership includes in-kind donations of WaterUps product to Kitchen Garden Program members in need. 

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is excited to announce a new partnership with wicking system specialists WaterUps to make gardening easier and more water‑wise for schools and early childhood services across Australia. 

WaterUps is an innovative Australian company producing wicking systems made from recycled materials. These systems can reduce water use by up to 80% compared with surface watering, and only need refilling every few weeks. They are designed to scale and adapt to almost any gardening setup. 

Over the next two years, WaterUps will work with the Foundation to help more young Australians learn about water efficiency and help schools and early childhood services create thriving gardens — even through heatwaves, holidays and staff absences. 

The partnership includes in-kind donations of WaterUps product to Kitchen Garden Program members in need. To kickstart the partnership, WaterUps will be supporting two new Kitchen Garden Program members in regional Victoria who were recently impacted by the 2026 bushfires. A donation of in-kind wicking beds will help them restore resilient, low‑maintenance gardens — supporting children, educators and the wider community in their recovery. 

“We're proud to partner with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and support the incredible impact of the Kitchen Garden Program in schools and early childhood services. Having seen the Foundation's work firsthand through our sponsorship of the National Kitchen Garden Awards 2025, we're excited to expand into a multi-year partnership that will help members grow more fresh food with less maintenance and make gardening even easier. 

WaterUps modular wicking systems help make schools and early learning gardens more resilient through heat and holidays so programs are easier to run and more likely to thrive,” says WaterUps Education and Business Manager Olly White.

Special offers for Kitchen Garden Program members 

• All Kitchen Garden Program members will enjoy special pricing on WaterUps products, exclusive offers and personalised priority support. Contact WaterUps here to access member pricing and offers. 

• As a welcome gift, new Kitchen Garden Program members will receive a WaterUps Square Planter, designed for effortless, water-efficient gardening in any space. Learn more about how you can access opportunities like this and other benefits by contacting our team at 1300 072 543 or membership@kitchengardenfoundation.org.au. 

• Our partnership will also allow the Foundation to share WaterUps’ expert advice on water efficiency with our members and expand the reach and impact of our work —building happy, healthy communities and a sustainable environment for more Australian children.

Bondi Public School

Some of our Kitchen Garden Program members are already big fans — Bondi Public School has 35 WaterUps wicking beds, acquired through fundraising! 

“The wicking beds only need to be filled approximately once every three weeks. This is so helpful in a schooling system with holidays and long periods of time with the garden unattended,” says Bondi Public School Garden Specialist Fiona de Souza. “I am beyond happy with how easy they were to establish and to maintain.” 

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation has partnered with wicking system specialists WaterUps to make gardening easier and more water‑wise for schools and early childhood services across Australia.