A Garden Club at Tyler Junior College allows students to help out and learn about plant life. The club is run by TJC students, Biology Professor Angie Nicholas and Raven Johnston, the librarian and instructional outreach services coordinator. It is not an officially recognized student organization through the Office of Student Life.
The Garden Club meets in a greenhouse, a scenic oasis located in the heart of TJC campus. Members meet every Tuesday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the greenhouse located inside the Vaughn Conservatory.
The greenhouse is open to TJC students during the day and there are tables and chairs for students to study. The club has various plants including mother of millions, brassicas, ferns, corn, spinach and other vegetables.
Club manager Zayna McClanahan is removing the dead parts of a plant for plant maintenance. As a member of the club, students get work in the greenhouse.
Club manager, freshman Zayna McClanahan, a general studies major, helps maintain stability in the greenhouse. McClanahan focuses on greenhouse maintenance including watering and weeding. Her goal is to get the greenhouse back into shape.
Sophomore Dylan Ewert, art major and the club’s vice president, plans to plant fresh food for students on campus in the future.
“The Garden Club is not only about beautifying the campus; it also serves as a space for students to unwind,” Ewert said. Ewert encourages students to embrace the therapeutic benefits of gardening.
Club members can learn how to care for plants, taxonomy and details about plant life.
From left to right: Members include Vice President Dylan Ewert, Professor of Biology, Angie Nicholas, and Raven Johnston, the librarian and instructional outreach services coordinator.
“The club aims to promote unity and environmental health through the gardening community.” McClanahan said. The club also promotes caring for the campus as a whole, not just the greenhouse.
“We want students to come together for something meaningful while contributing to the campus’s appearance and the health of the environment,” McClanahan said.
The Garden Club is open to anyone who wants to join and experience is not required.
“There are no restrictions. If you like plants, come join us,” Ewert said.
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Garden club member sophomore and environmental science major Scarlet Cox waters the plants. During club meetings, members learn how to help keep up with garden maintenance.
Photo by Albin Biju. Some of the plants in the Vaughn Conservatory include begonia, snapdragon, calthea and Tradescantia albiflora. The Garden Club meets from 2:30-3:30 p.m. every Tuesday in Vaughn Conservatory.
The Vaughn Conservatory is open to TJC students. The greenhouse has tables and chairs for studying.