Another year blooms as the Gardening Club becomes a new addition to the school. The club hopes to give students the chance to appreciate gardening as an art, rather than a chore.
Club Advisor Mr. Scott Randles originally planned for a horticulture class, but it was canceled due to a lack of sign-ups. He then proposed a club, which plenty of his AP Environmental Science students volunteered to be a part of, be it as a member or a part of cabinet.
The club has hopes of teaching others about the study of botany and useful, organic gardening techniques to help them develop a deeper appreciation for the practice.
“We wanted people to be more aware about the origin of their food—as a species, we’ve gardened for over 1,000 years,” Mr. Randles said. “It was the primary way of living and it’s a great way to procure healthy food. It gets people to appreciate the growing process when gardens are something that are taken for granted.”
Many of the new club members already have an appreciation for gardening through their experiences growing up. In most of these households, relatives encouraged them to plant fruits and vegetables as children. Students believe that the club will provide a meaningful yet nostalgic experience.
“I used to grow lots of vegetables. My first were carrots and I was so excited to pull them out of the ground,” Junior Sarah Sun said. “I have a very big backyard, so my family made use of the space by planting crops. It’s a great way to eat healthy food with guaranteed freshness.”
As for now, Gardening Club is working on a project to plant a variety of vegetables on the Temple City Boulevard side of the two-story buildings. They aim to give a portion of the goods to Ms. Allen’s class for cooking, or to sell at a local farmer’s market as a school fundraiser. Future plans also include collaborating with Environmental Club and Interactive Club to volunteer at local parks to clean up.
“We plan to bring awareness to students the importance of protecting the environment, no matter how minimal the task is. Through agriculture we can reach that goal,” Co-President Junior Nancy Lee said. “In an environment-friendly way, we can share healthy produce and collaborate with the small business class to make such things possible.”
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