Plants at UM's Organic Garden. Photo by Lucy Frost-Helms, Copy editor. By Ashlee Hall, Lifestyles editor
On a small patch of land just off campus sits the University of Montevallo’s Organic Community Garden. The garden is self funded through plant sales hosted by UM’s Environmental Club.
E-Club aims to promote environmentally safe practices across campus and in the community, while educating students on their surrounding environment.
“We really hope to improve the student body’s understanding of our natural environment and we really hope to make a difference on campus,” said E-club member, Trinity Buse.
Day-to-day operations of the garden are managed by Montevallo community member Holly Wadleigh, who has worked with horticulture for almost 20 years. She gained her knowledge from working at Petals From The Past, a plant nursery in Chilton County.
To promote the most environmentally safe practices, the garden is all organic. No sprays or pesticides are used, allowing the plants to grow naturally.
“Everything here is what God put in the ground. We don’t spray or use any chemicals here,” said Wadleigh.
With the help of the E-Club, Wadleigh hosts plant sales throughout the semester to raise money to fund the garden and the club’s events.
To keep up with E-Club and the community garden, follow @um_environmental on Instagram.
In addition to helping with the plant sale, E-Club members came dressed to work in the garden to celebrate Earth Week and collect community service hours.
E-Club holds various events throughout the year to support the Montevallo community. If you are interested in learning more about their mission and activities, their general meetings are held every Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the Tower, near the cafeteria.
Ashlee Hall is the lifestyles editor for The Alabamian. She is majoring in mass communication with a concentration in multimedia journalism with minors in public relations, social media administration and food and nutrition sciences. In her free time, she enjoys reading “Southern Living Magazine,” curling her hair and making niche Spotify playlists.
