Community garden ready for spring planting

By Saralyn Mast – Horizon News and Features Editor

Remember when you were a youngster and you liked getting dirty and planting seeds in the garden? Well, here is a chance for you to bring back those memories. And if you’ve never created memories like that, now is your chance.

Jacob Landis, a freshman highly involved in the community garden at Hesston College, said one of his dreams for this garden is for “people to see gardening as a place to relax, bring back memories of childhood, and learn new skills.”

Landis and Lorna Harder, a biology and computer information technology professor at Hesston College, are working together on this effort. Harder encourages students to sign up after Easter break to work in the garden.

The gravel driveway off of Main Street goes right by the community garden. Last semester during No Impact Week, Landis was in charge of preparing the garden so it would be ready for planting this spring. During that week, many students helped in making raised beds, then making paths with newspaper and mulch.

“The goal of the garden is to provide some produce to the campus and a place where students can learn about gardening,” said Jacob relojes especiales.

With warm weather already hitting Kansas, Harder hopes to plant lettuce, peas, radishes, and other kinds of seeds as soon as possible. Landis suggested that students help prepare the plots and plant the seeds. They are also open to other ideas for the garden.

“If they want to work at other times, have other questions, or just want to make a suggestion, they can talk to Lorna or I,” he said.

Reflecting on No Impact Week, Landis said he and Harder hope the garden  “becomes a model for the college’s mission of sustainability as it continues to grow.”

Keep on the lookout for an e-mail from Harder regarding the spring gardening schedule.