Horticulture Club Will Keep Flowerbed Blooming
Group members discuss the plan for planting before diving in.. Download Larger Image
Many students come together to work on different steps of the process. Download Larger Image
President Amanda Snodgrass talks with club members. Download Larger Image
This fall, the ISU Horticulture Club assumed responsibility for the design and planting of the flowerbed at the corner of Wallace and Osborn. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, club members began by planting bulbs that will flower next spring.
Due to the recent budget cuts, funding for the planting and maintenance of flowerbeds on campus has been eliminated, including the highly visible bed at the corner of Wallace and Osborn. In an attempt to preserve this important landmark, the Horticulture Club has accepted responsibility for designing, planting and nurturing this flowerbed.
The club's goals include creating a network in which students can learn more about the horticulture industry, as well as learning specific horticultural techniques. "This project with the bed is important to the club because it gives us a chance to do a project that involves members in all aspects of a design, plant and maintain situation," said Horticulture Club president Amanda Snodgrass, a senior in horticulture. "We can help our members learn how to select plants for a site, plant them properly and maintain them throughout the year. It allows our students to get hands-on experience with horticulture in a setting where they can see and be proud of their work."
"The adoption of the bed on the corner of Wallace and Osborn is important to us because it allows us to get involved with the university in a way that not only helps educate our members, but increases our visibility on campus. By sponsoring this bed, we get our club name out to students and faculty beyond the horticulture department. Sponsoring the bed also helps our club feel more intimately involved with the university," Snodgrass said.
"I am highly supportive of these students. The ISU campus is one of the most beautiful in the Midwest and I'm proud that our students will have a hand in keeping it that way," said Jeff Iles, the chair of the department of horticulture.
Photos taken by Bob Elbert