Are you looking for a new project this summer? Try signing up to take care of a gardening plot on campus! The Southern Maine Community College Campus has a huge garden with a tight-knit community of people who help each other garden and bring fresh life and color to campus. 

Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator Jen Otenti who runs the Community Garden offers a very flexible gardening experience. The 42 garden beds are 8×4 foot, above-ground wooden boxes filled with pesticide-free soil. 

Megan Grumbling, an English professor at Southern Maine Community College and longtime garden plot renter is very enthusiastic about the gardening program.

 “I’ve been gardening there since 2020 — the pandemic year — and it was such a blessing for me to be able to nurture plants and vegetables with other gardeners during that time of so much uncertainty and isolation. Since then, I’ve continued to love spending time in the garden, planting and weeding in view of the sea, and learning new gardening tips and ideas from other gardeners.”

Along with being very friendly for beginning gardeners, the SMCC garden is also committed to making sure all gardeners use organic gardening products. That means no pesticides creeping into your garden through the water or air. 

Applications for the 2024 garden plot opened on March 18th and they accepted applications until the 10th of April. However, if you don’t immediately get a gardening plot, don’t worry! After the first round of applications, they have a waitlist where you might get a garden at the beginning of June. With 42 plots on campus, there is a very high chance you will get a plot all to yourself. 

If you have a few hours a week to spare, try investing your time this summer into learning how to garden, meeting some amazing people to garden with, and making the campus we all love even more beautiful.