SITE
2 : A Greenhouse and Garden
The greenhouse
and garden are located behind the
printing service building on the CMU campus. The wooden balcony
and concrete flower bed were designed by civil engineer Larry Cartwright.
I have been working on the garden since April 2nd of this year.
I replaced the entire soil in the garden boxes. I planted Butterfly
bush (Buddleia), Sun Flower (Heilanthus), Daylily (Hemerocallis),
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia purpurea), Lilac (Syringa patura), etc.
Thanks to Carol Kumata! Early this spring she gave me many starters
including Malva (Mallow) and cherry tomatos! I set out a bird feeder,
too. Finches, sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, morning doves, and
grackles come every day. There are more creatures; crickets, cabbage
white, tiger swallowtails, red admirals, wasps, grasshoppers, praying
mantises and tent caterpillars can be seen. |
The greenhouse was renovated by Bob Bingham and Tim Collins.
They put in three skylight windows. Thank you Bob and Tim! Inside the
greenhouse there is a hydroponic system which is taking care of some milkweed.
I also placed 150 summer plant names and a description of the Nine Mile
Run site, vegetation map, etc, in the greenhouse. The garden faces south.
There are water barrels collecting rain water from the building; part
of Larry Cartwright's design which became a very important element. I
watered the garden once a day, sometimes twice until now (except on rainy
days). When there was no water in the barrel, the printing department
kindly allowed me to get water from their faucet. Hot weekends were the
most difficult. I noticed that the garden needs at least 25 gallons of
water every day to support the plants. I had to carry water from the Robotics
building, some weekends. The garden activity made me more aware of the
weather, temperature, time, plants and other small living things. I was
aware that the dry hot days were not only affecting the campus, but at
Nine Mile Run, too. Working and spending most of ones time at school or
any other working place, it is very easy to lose this connection between
daily life and the larger realm of nature.
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