During the past few weeks, you may have seen a garden pop up behind Pickard House, and this sudden backyard transformation has been in the works for a while. Dyanna Smith, an adjunct professor who teaches classes such as Environmental Ethics and Gardening for Sustainability, is responsible for the beds that have been placed there. Her current Gardening for Sustainability class has been researching and planning for this garden, which will be used as an educational tool for both Lasell students and the children of The Barn, as well as a resource for local organizations. Dyanna and other faculty members are in the process of planning the distribution of the produce they grow to community kitchens and food pantries. The garden will be home to herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers, using all organic and open pollinated seeds. So far a watermelon radish blend, red and white beets, potatoes, popcorn, melons, and sunflowers have been planted. The children at The Barn took on the task of planting starburst carrots, which will yield a variety of 3 or 4 colors.
The Gardening for Sustainability class has put together a gardening manual based on their semester research, which will be kept in a soon to be built shed, housing all of the gardening tools. The garden, which should start seeing some sprouting activity in a few weeks, aims to get the children of the Barn excited about growing and to give back to the community.
If you’re interested in helping to maintain this new process, Dyanna says a garden club should be up and running for fall, so stay tuned!