Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Christopher Parks Just north of Hayden Hall, Karyl Buddington sits in a gardenbed that, in coming weeks, will house fruits, vegetables and herbs. The initiative to provide free, fresh vegetables to students to pick on campus is called TIGUrS, The Tiger Inititive for Gardening in Urban Settings. Gardens will also be located between Clement Hall and Wilder Tower, south of Ball Hall, south of Jones Hall and north of Hayden Hall.

Media Credit: Christopher Parks

Hungry students don't have a lot of time to find healthy alternatives to fast food as they duck in and out of classes. But after this semester, students can pick and eat fresh produce at eight edible gardens on campus - for free.

The Tiger Initiative for Gardening in Urban Settings, also called TIGUrS, will start planting the gardens the first week of May.

The fruits, vegetables and herbs will be grown organically. The committee said it hopes to sustain the environment and provide healthy, local food for students and staff.

Karyl Buddington, committee chairwoman and director of Animal Care Facilities at The U of M, first introduced the idea and is leading the project.

"I would love to see more people with ideas about how we can make this a success," she said. "Can we be a leader? Can (The University) be a model to the rest of the Memphis community?"

Members of the TIGUrS committee meet and discuss sustainability issues at weekly meetings held at the Physical Plant. The group consists of "diverse and unique people from different departments all around campus," said Randy Buddington, a teacher from the department of sports and health sciences.

He said he is "very excited about the gardens because good nutrition is important to our curriculum."

Horticulturists, professors and Physical Plant employees have laid out a list of priorities, which include securing enough seeds, plants and organic materials to fill the beds.

The University should try to extend its leadership beyond sports, said director of custodial landscaping services Calvin Strong.

"I am a huge basketball fan, but The University of Memphis needs to do something that everyone can get behind, other than basketball," he said.

He smiled and shrugged as he said his favorite sport "neither begins the world, nor ends the world."

Participation through education and awareness within The University and campus school is another goal of the committee.

"I hope it will enlighten (students)," said committee member Kim Wilson. "It's going to make people more aware of the environment and what you can do for yourself. You have to be interested (and) willing to your hands dirty."

Setting up all eight of the gardens will be the hardest part of the project. The digging of plant beds has already begun, just south of Jones Hall and north of Hayden Hall, where cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, savory and nasturtiums will be planted.

The gardens will be located in different areas around campus and will include a variety of different plants. For example, the lawns surrounding the clock near Wilder Tower will have a selection of beets, bush beans, carrots, chives and sage.

Jamie Wells, a student looking forward to munching a few of the carrots, said the gardens will be "very useful to vegetarian/vegan students and it will be aesthetically pleasing."

Basil, cilantro, garlic, hot peppers, parsley, rosemary and Swiss chard will also be planted on both sides of the old clock.

"It will draw more students to be active and plant things," said student Ian Rosenthal. "It's a good thing for the environment."

The gardens will contain companion plants that promote healthy growth and flavor in fruits and vegetables. Edible flowers, such as borage, will attract beneficial pollinators, like bees and butterflies, and add colorful hues of indigo with a mild sweet taste to salads. A variety of pest-repellent plants, like marigolds and nasturtiums, will protect the borders of beds from damaging insect invasions.

Fruit trees, blueberry bushes and strawberries will also be incorporated into many of the planting areas.

"On my way to class and back, I'll be taking strawberries constantly," said freshman Laquisha Walters. "If you are walking to class and there's an apple tree, then hey, grab an apple. It's right there in plain sight for someone to get, and it's healthy, of course."

Crab apple trees are already located near the Life Sciences Building.

The largest garden will be planted near Ball Hall and called the "Urban Oasis."

In the Oasis, students will find a field full of eggplants, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes and other plants like oregano, lavender, flax and bee balm. Pathways and sitting areas will be designed into the landscape to provide quiet places for students to enjoy nature and unwind from the daily grind.

Chastity Pegues, a freshman dentistry major, said the convenience of fresh produce will be "helpful for those who don't have transportation to the grocery stores."

"It will be easy-access for vegetables and things they need to cook," she said. "All students need to come together for some common interest, so I think this will help."

Despite differing opinions on how involved students will become, "(The gardens) can only be positive," said Jamie Wells.

"Most won't (get involved), but there will be a determined minority," he said. "I might even be one of them."

Pegues said The University can get people interested in several ways, like "letting us know about it, letting us help hands-on, asking our ideas about the project."

Buddington said she looks forward to seeing student leadership in the gardens.

"I want this to be a fun thing," she said. "Many (students) will be excited. Many of them will be watching. College students are incredibly creative people. The best thing about a college student is that they are not bound by preconceived ideas. When you help (them) see the bigger picture, then it gets creative thought going."

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