The community at Linfield is one of openness and comraderie, so Linfield students should always be looking for ways to further develop that environment.

One highly overlooked opportunity is the Linfield garden. Tucked away next to Renshaw Hall, most people pass by it without giving it much thought according to Ellen Gallagher, the student in charge of maintaining the property.
The two students in charge of caring for the garden prior to Gallagher graduated in 2017. The garden needed a new caretaker, so Ellen decided to step up to the challenge despite having little previous gardening experience.

She dedicated much of her free time to prevent the area from becoming an overgrown mess. A few other student volunteers helped her, as well.

However, the goal of the garden is not only to maintain the invading weeds and pests, but also to cultivate a healthy environment for all varieties of plants to grow.

As growing season comes to a close, there is an opportunity to start fresh, but the garden needs the help of student volunteers. Developing an all-organic garden requires effort, and while it may seem like a chore, Ellen says that nothing could be further from the truth.

“This is a place to learn skills and self-reflect,” she said, sitting amid the produce and planter boxes.

Although the garden may not currently appear to be the most inviting place, Gallagher said the Linfield community can change that.She also said she would like to set up seats, establish a path system and even

create an awning area next to the garden’s shed for students to relax after volunteering. The goal would be to help people feel welcome and show them that the garden could be the perfect place to take a stroll, wind down while listening to music or chat with friends.

The biggest challenge in renovating the garden would be getting the manpower and backing needed to help it thrive.

Volunteers are welcome to help in the garden every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, but Gallagher has been working mostly by herself to maintain it. What she needs most are a few volunteers who she hopes could, “genuinely commit their time.”

In order to gain some attention, she hopes to start a gardening club, which would involve a weekly session for anyone interested in learning beneficial growing strategies and the science behind properly growing various species.

Gallagher’s goal for the club would be to, “increase the community aspect of [the garden].” But to do so, she would need people who are passionate, dedicated and willing to drag themselves out of the comfort of their beds on a Saturday morning.

To help this garden grow, the Linfield community must also be willing to grow with it as peers and friends. This is the place where we live, our temporary neighborhood, and therefore we should look after it with as much care as possible. With enough help, we can turn the garden into a flourishing Eden.