Jenna Bacon, Campus Carrier arts and living editor
Spring is in full swing, bringing new life to Berry College. Since spring is a very fruitful season, now is the perfect time to try one’s hand at gardening. The Garden Club provides students with hands-on gardening experience. Berry College has four different gardens on campus that are each part of Berry’s Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation (ABC) project, sponsored by the Environmental Science and Studies program. Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Anthropology Brian Campbell oversees the project. The ABC project works to grow and plant seeds, track their adaptations, and get those seeds and products to the Rome Community. Students involved with the ABC project wanted to find a way to get Berry students more involved in gardening. They wanted the club to appeal to more than just environmental science majors, so they proposed a garden club.
“Students spearheaded it,” Campbell said. “Students who worked with me and were excited about being able to garden asked if I would be an advisor.”
In September 2022, the Garden Club had their first meeting. The club meets every other week during the months of August through October and March through May. Seniors Lauren Moulison and Katie Jones are the current leaders of the Garden Club. When they took over the garden club at the end of last year, they decided that they wanted to add an educational element to the Garden Club’s bi-weekly meeting.
“We’ve asked professors to come in and talk,” Jones said. “We’ve had Dr. Bohr speak and Dr. Ernst give some mini lectures about garden-related topics.”
Residents of Dogwood Cottage provide a meal to Davies Men’s Shelter as part of their year of service.
Both Jones and Moulison live in Dogwood Cottage so they can help maintain the garden there. As part of their “year of service” required to live in the cottage, Dogwood residents visit the Davies Men’s shelter on the first Monday of each month to provide a meal and instruction on gardening. The Garden Club members also attend this gathering.
“This is a great way to let people know about how to get involved in the Rome community,” Moulison said. “It’s like whole new world meeting a whole new branch of people.”
Berry College is actually home to four different gardens, and they are all part of the ABC project. There is a garden next to the Berry Elementary and Middle School used to teach children about the importance of gardening and heirloom seed preservation. There is also an orchard that has apple trees and blueberry bushes in this garden. The Dogwood Garden is used to grow food that will then be donated to local food banks. According to the ABC project’s website, “The mission of the garden is to save and share the traditional crop varieties of the southern Appalachian region that are currently being forgotten by younger generations.”The Medicinal Garden is located behind Dogwood Cottage and is run by the Biology, Environmental Science and Studies, and One Health Departments. There are currently up to 12 species of medicinal plants in the garden, including bloodroot, creeping thyme and white yarrow. QR codes sit in front of each plant that explain what species of plant it is, what medicinal properties it has, and more.
Eden’s Memorial Garden is a memorial garden for a Berry student who died during their time as a student. Its located right next to the medicinal garden, and there will soon be a path and a pond in it. Both Moulison and Jones will be graduating this year but Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Studies Adrienne Ernst has expressed some interest in the Garden Club. According to Jones, she and Moulison hope that students will continue to participate in the Garden Club after they both graduate.
To inquire about joining the Garden Club, email Lauren Moulison @lauren.moulison.vikings.berry.edu. Stay up to date with Garden Club activities by following them on Instagram @berrygardeningclub.