Campus News

113 shrubs planted around GC turf field

Mt. Laurel Garden Club, Maryland Forest Service partner with College

Photo by John Rudd

The Mountain Laurel Garden Club, Maryland Forest Service, Garrett College Facilities Department, and more than 40 Laker student athletes combined to plant 113 shrubs last Tuesday surrounding the College's recently developed turf field. Pictured, left to right, are: Mountain Laurel Garden Club Co-President Linda Harris, Garrett College Director of Campus Facilities and Capital Projects Chris Painter, Maryland Forest Service Western Region Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator Katherine Phillips, and Garrett College student athletes Collin Reed, Greg Eddy, Cooper Blackburn, Ty Giblin, Andrew Bell and Allison Harrold.

The Mountain Laurel Garden Club, Maryland Forest Service, and Garrett College Facilities Department – aided by more than 40 Laker student athletes – combined to plant 113 shrubs last Tuesday surrounding the College's recently developed turf field.

"They just kept coming," said Mountain Laurel Garden Club Co-President Linda Harris of the GC student athletes, which included members of the baseball, women's volleyball, wrestling, and women's soccer teams. "I don't think an excavating machine could have dug all of these holes for the shrubs we planted any faster."

"I was expecting to be here until early afternoon," said Katherine Phillips, the Maryland Forest Service Western Region Urban and Community Forestry coordinator. "With so many people helping, we started planting around 10 [a.m.] and we were done before 11."

The project came together after the Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Committee awarded a $1,000 tree-planting grant to the College. Garrett College matched the $1,000 grant, and the Mountain Laurel Garden Club contributed $960 raised at the Native Plant Symposium that took place recently at Garrett College.

The native Western Maryland shrubs – including black chokeberry, red chokeberry, viburnum black haw, buttonbush, winterberry, witch hazel, and New Jersey tea – were planted 28 per row surrounding the turf field.

Harris said Garrett College Foundation Executive Director Cherie Krug – herself a member of the Mountain Laurel Garden Club – connected the Garden Club with the College.

"This saved the College a lot of money and it was a great community project," said Chris Painter, GC's director of campus facilities and capital projects.

"Chris has been amazing to work with," said Harris, noting, "I've always wanted to do projects with the College."

"We hope to continue working with these partners in beautification projects across campus," said Painter.

Harris and Painter said GC's Facilities Department was equally amazing.

"I've got a great grounds crew," said Painter.

Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College's president, said the shrub-planting initiative "once again illustrates the value of partner-based projects."

"I greatly appreciate the collaborative efforts of the Mountain Laurel Garden Club and the Maryland Forest Service," said Midcap. "Linda Harris and Katherine Phillips were particularly instrumental in making this project a reality."