On April 16 , the campus community planted colorful flowerbeds and green foliage alongside the greenhouse team, leaving the James P. Blanton Park full of new plant life.
The John Brong planting day is in memory of the former greenhouse manager, John Brong. In the opening remarks, horticultural manager Josh Whitney said this day was created for Chanticleers to come together and get their hands dirty, build community and make the campus beautiful.
Whitney said he is excited to get the plants out of the campus greenhouse, which is located just behind the HTC center near Elvington Loop, and into the hands of students.
“I’m always really excited for two things. Number one, to get plants out of the greenhouse and then to the ground.” Whitney said. “One thing that I’m big on is even with like the Pentas, we do the bee bright series. They’re designed to attract more pollinators. So, our Coleus, our Penta or Angelonia, even our Gomphrena, which is like a Mexican desert plant, thrives here.”
Whitney and the rest of the campus greenhouse are passionate about protecting pollinators. They offer bee-friendly options such as natural oils instead of using harsh pesticides to repel pests such as fungus gnats.
“I’ve used neem oil, neem oil, literally from the neem plant. Once they [plants treated with neem oil] dry, a bee can go on that flower an hour later and go ahead and do its thing and not be affected where a pesticide potentially could kill it,” Whitney said.
Whitney said the greenhouse offers a space for plant propagation, allowing for more plants to be spread around campus from just a single leaf.
“A lot of people don’t have the space to do what they want, so providing them with a good spot, good space to be able to garden, be able to get their hands in the dirt, is really important,” Whitney said.
Jemma Barillaro is a junior biology major, the secretary for the Coastal Carolina Horticulture Club and a greenhouse employee. She said that it is important for everyone to learn about plants as they are essential for life on earth.
“They matter a lot more than people give it credit for. I mean plants are so important. They like to produce oxygen,” Barillaro said. “I think it’s so important for everyone to be very educated on how to plant and how to grow plants, because when we’re nice to plants, they’re nice to us.”
Barillaro encourages students to join the horticulture club in the fall and to be on the lookout for new greenhouse positions that are opening.
For students interested in picking up a new plant or visiting the greenhouse, hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 to 11 a.m. Friday.
