As a junior in college, we still are learning more and more about the programs and opportunities offered on campus. One of the facilities I always drove by, but never seemed to stop in at is the Thompson School of Applied Sciences greenhouses. There are multiple greenhouses in which plants are grown along with produce by the universities students as well as faculty and grad students. Some of the plants that they have are ivy, poinsettias, cactus, and succulents. These plants are for public sale and help to fund the greenhouse.
There are two main events to help promote the sale of the plants and produce. On December 1, 2, and 3rd the greenhouse sells poinsettias as a holiday fundraiser and in the spring, the staff and students hold an open house to walk through the greenhouses and see all the beautiful horticulture produced. The holidays are right around the corner and these could make a great gift!
This past year, Jonathon Ebba, the Horticulture Facility Manger, gave out coupons for ivy plants to all incoming freshman as an incentive to get out to the greenhouses and see how these plants are grown. They specifically grow dorm plants to help to decorate ones room and bring in a natural aspect. It has also been proven that home plants will improve the quality of air in your dorm or apartment!
Not only do they have events, but also the greenhouses provide plants for the campus. Students and faculty members fill all the planters that line main street. They also plant the mums that are seen around campus and were grown in the greenhouse. When the dining halls have events or special dinners they provide the plants to decorate with. We underestimate how much our campus utilizes each school to benefit our learning. One of the most interesting contributions that the greenhouses provide are plants and produce for the Thompson culinary arts and nutrition school such as tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, basil and lettuce.
Another important give back from the greenhouses is that they donate the left over produce to the Durham food pantry.
One of the greenhouses is focused on the research aspect of horticulture. The conservatory is an experiment station within the COLSA college. They have created a closed system with fish, in which the only input is the fish food. This water then gets filtered and converted into food for the plants. This uses less water and nutrition of any fertilizer.
Another research project occurring was the growth of pumpkins and squash. The researcher will take samples of each product and test them for food quality. Some other research being done was on strawberry genetics and kiwi breeding.
The conservatory is a great place to navigate some of the most exotic collections of plants. Faculty and staff have been planting and collecting a beautiful arrangement of plants for years, and it is a great place to marvel in nature’s wonders.
Many students are unaware of the beautiful plants that we have easy access to on campus. Wouldn’t it be much more rewarding collecting plants and produce from a place that funds the efforts of our UNH community?
Photography by Christina Brown
