Our First Garden Planning Meeting: The Journey Begins!

Last week, a group of SPC faculty and staff met to plan the creation of a community garden behind the Social Justice House, Honors House, and Campus Mail House at Saint Peter's College.  Our first task was to survey the area for soil conditions, existing plants, sun and wind conditions, debris, ground level and other factors we observed.

There have been some good efforts in the past to make this area a welcoming space, particularly behind the Social Justice House, where herbs grow in raised beds (amidst a few weeds) and a winding labyrinth of stones beckons exploration.  Despite a somewhat shady environment, several plants--including hydrangea, rose, and honeysuckle bushes--were flowering happily, a good sign for future blooms!  There is great potential in the space but also a great deal of work before us in joining the three yards, clearing the debris, and eventually landscaping the area. The following are just some of the ideas brought forward at our first meeting.

• Gardens!!! There were suggestions for a vegetable garden, herb garden, hanging garden, flower garden, and sculpture garden.  The vision is for a variety of individual, yet connected, garden environments that span across the three "backyards."
• Murals: painted by a visiting artist or students on the exterior wall of the Yanitelli Center which borders the southwest side of the space.  Possible themes for the murals include social justice and civil rights leaders.
• A seating area for students to gather and socialize
• An area for outdoor movement (yoga classes) and musical performance
• A compost bin to create our own fertilizer out of discarded food and lawn matter
• A labyrinth "makeover" with new seating and ground cover
• Outdoor lighting, for evening events

The journey (and the hard work)  has just begun.  Feel free to comment here with any ideas you might have for this community project.  Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities and updates on our progress.