ET COURTYARD GARDEN DAY

Greening the campus
The Engineering Technology building is home to a local student and community garden that is maintained on a periodic basis by students in the architecture program as well as the horticulture program.  Within recent years, the garden has become a more collaborative space, with students in the Architecture Club working with the Horticulture club to landscape and install irrigation.

Irrigation and improvements
In approximately 2005 with the voluntary help of the campus Buildings and Grounds staff, an irrigation line with a timer and solenoid valve system was installed to provide a source of water to the planter which had been neglected for many years.  With student and faculty coordination a drip irrigation system was installed to provide water to a variety of plants that were provided through the horticulture department.  The additional removal of an aged tree cleared a large area for new plantings. 

Since this work was initiated the garden has become an annual project to maintain and plant as seasons change and different groups of students engage from semester to semester.  A variety of species of plants have been planted in this space ranging from vegetables, sunflowers, native plants and low water use plants. 

Collaborative efforts
Throughout the year and especially in the Spring, the garden has been a focus for student participation and engagement in the broader upkeep of the architecture and engineering facilities as well as a friendly communal meeting place on work days for students to collaborate and help with garden chores, new plantings, pruning and cleanup.

If you are interested in being in involved in the maintenance, design or renewal of the garden please contact Daniel Abbott in the architecture program for more information.