An Inside Look at Gardening Club

Story by John Klingler '18 

     In the corner of The Ellison Library, next to the checkout desk and behind Weaver Lilley's “locker,” something begins to grow.  It spreads its roots and among the many books and emerges from the soil, growing taller at a rapid pace.  Soon, it’s a full-fledged plant, soaking in sunlight and releasing fresh oxygen into the hot and sweaty library. Tended by the careful green-thumbs of the STA botanical brotherhood, the plant quickly grows taller than the average freshman. No, this isn’t a metaphor; something’s actually growing back there: the fruits of STA Gardening Club’s first harvest! 

     ​The Gardening Club is back and more successful than ever!  Vegetables currently growing in the library include swiss chard, spinach, radish, and basil, while decorative flowers, bonsai trees, and cacti sprout nearby.  Placed strategically to take advantage of the early morning sun, the plants receive natural light (in addition to the specially designed LED lights kindly donated by science teacher Mr. Carroll). Outside on the terrace, mature radishes continue to excel and are approximately a month away from yielding edible produce.  On the social side of things, our Instagram handle (@stagardening) is well on its way to becoming insta-famous, especially now that it’s followed by esteemed and prominent celebrity gardener Khaled Majouji (@theplantcharmer) We have more members than ever before, allowing the burden of watering to be spread evenly across the student body.  In fact, this year has even seen new titles added to the club, like Head Haiku Writer (Kubair Chuchra) and Assistant Bonsai Tree Namer (Alex Labossiere). The club couldn’t be doing better!

     That being said, gardening is never easy.  We have encountered numerous problems this year, from a persistent soil-fungus that continues to suck nutrients from our plants to a broken hydroponic tower. The hydroponic tower was easily fixed, however, it just needed to be plugged into the wall. In all seriousness, both Chris Emerson and I would like to thank everyone who’s helped out this year, especially our Faculty Sponsors Mr. Kantz and Mr. Seese. Let’s keep up the good work.