Anyone who has tended a garden can appreciate the satisfaction involved in nurturing new life from seed to sprout then on to maturity. This same process has been at work in the formation of a new club at Kent State University at Geauga. The new Geauga Gardeners Club just sprouted fall semester and it is seeking new members as it grows.
James Blackwell, MSN, RN, CCRN-K is a Lecturer in the College of Nursing. He also became the Geauga Gardeners Club Advisor after he and one of his students — junior nursing major Dan Painley — realized they both shared a common interest in growing plants. They sought permission to use the under-utilized John W. Gander Greenhouse on the Geauga Campus grounds, and shortly thereafter, the Geauga Gardeners Club was established.
The mission statement of this student organization is "To promote the practices of gardening and horticulture through education, projects, social events, tours, and other activities while being conservation- and sustainability-minded.”
Dan says, “Our goal is to get people interested in growing plants, learning and experimenting in the greenhouse. It’s our playground to learn and expand our abilities year-round instead of being restricted to Ohio’s short outdoor growing season of four to six months.”
Blackwell shares that the club also expects to take field trips to parks and horticultural facilities, learn from guest speakers, organize plant sales, and perhaps help with on-campus landscaping projects, especially if club members show interest in ornamental plants.
“This semester, our goal is to get a strong base of plants established [in the greenhouse] in order to have something to show to interested students,” Blackwell says. “Hopefully, if they see we're highly active, they will be more likely to join."
Blackwell and Dan hope to generate interest in the club with advertising this November. When the club officially launches next semester in January, funds will be raised by selling what members grow, including seeds, vegetables, and eventually, plants. Some seeds and vegetables are already available on campus; primarily cherry tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. The goal is to have produce available from September through May.
The club will advertise upcoming sales on the college’s social media platforms, take orders by email, take online payment, and support curbside to-go sales at the greenhouse. Proceeds will be used to purchase fertilizer, seeds, soil, containers, and other equipment and supplies. Once membership grows, club funds can help pay for trips to local attractions, such as Holden Arboretum and the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
The club website is www.geaugagardeners.com, where anyone interested can learn more and request to join. Questions can be emailed to geaugagardeners@gmail.com. The club’s Instagram account is @geaugagardeners. Initial plans are for club members to meet every two weeks and to enjoy guided greenhouse hours according to demand.
“Between the two of us, we have a wide range of experience to help students learn how to grow any plants they might be interested in,” Blackwell says.
Both Blackwell and Dan find that nursing and gardening are complementary interests, each from their particular perspective.
Blackwell says, “A healthy diet is important for general well-being and helping to prevent diseases, like diabetes and coronary artery disease. Eating fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of things like strokes and heart attacks. A major thing we teach in all of our nursing classes are the risk factors for diseases, and a poor diet is usually on the list.”
Dan sees that caring for patients and caring for plants both require diligence to provide the right conditions for optimal health. He also sees how the Latin scientific names of many plants relate directly to many nursing terms that sprout from the same root word.
Dan, who started his Kent State Geauga college career as a high school student in the College Credit Plus program, enjoys the Geauga Campus’ small class sizes that afford ample time to interact with instructors.
“This environment suits me,” says the Hiram resident. “I’ve always been a nature person and a science person. As an Eagle Scout, I have always loved to go on hikes, identify trees, forage edible plants, and survive outdoors. This new Geauga Gardeners Club is a great way to build upon those interests.”