If your green thumb is in need of a little rejuvenation, Weber State University’s community garden may be able to help.
The garden, which is located behind Wildcat Village, is managed by WSU students and is looking to expand student involvement for 2015.
According to WSU assistant botany professor Heather Root, the garden started back in 2012 as a student’s senior thesis project, with the main mission being to “give students an opportunity to practice gardening and to grow food on campus.”
Root, who is the faculty adviser for the garden, said that the garden currently has 13 beds, each measuring 4-by-10 feet.
“The beds are mostly for annual plants and vegetables, but we have one bed for herbs,” Root said.
In the herb bed, garden members are able to grow things like lavender, rosemary, thyme and others.
“Right now we have two beds for spring greens, including spinach, lettuce, arugula and peas,” Root said. “The other beds are for summer crops, including squashes, eggplants, ochre, zucchinis, cucumbers, tomatoes and green beans.”
Root also said that the garden includes a small orchard, which grows cherries, apples, peaches, blackberries and strawberries.
According to Root, the garden currently has 12 consistent students who participate and that they are always looking for more students to join in.
“It is easy to get a lot of people who are willing to come for a day, and the hardest thing with getting students involved is their follow-through,” Root said.
Root described the cost of becoming a garden member, along with its benefits.
“People pay a $15 fee to be part of the garden for the year, and we use that to get things we absolutely need,” Root said. “When people become members, they have the responsibility to help with the work, and they have the privilege of harvesting their fair share of the crop.”
Root went on to say that anybody is welcome to join the garden, regardless of experience or skill level. This is because the group largely consists of botany majors, who are eager to help along any newcomers.
Christopher Hunsaker, a WSU senior majoring in botany, has been a member of the garden since 2013.
According to Hunsaker, anyone from any major can benefit from joining the garden because it teaches a skill that a person will take on for the rest of their life. Hunsaker also said that it can help to develop a greater appreciation for community work as a whole.
Any student, faculty or community member that is interested in becoming a member of the garden is encouraged to contact Heather Root at [email protected] for more information.
