at Salem horticulture students recently helped Associate Professor Chris Carlson take the first step toward creating a series of themed gardens on the grounds of the Salem Campus by designing a butterfly garden.
The students conducted soil testing and site assessments prior to designing and planting the new garden, using specially selected plants that will flower and attract butterflies.
All of the butterfly plants were donated by Bill Hendricks and Klyn Nurseries, an educationally supportive wholesale grower located in Perry, Ohio.
“This project is just the beginning of a much larger plan to develop many more horticultural-themed gardens on the Salem Campus,” Carlson says. “I plan on developing a minimum of one to two new themed gardens per year on this campus for the next 10 years. They will be created for everyone in the area to enjoy and learn from, especially plant enthusiasts and local garden clubs.”
His plans for future themed gardens include an ornamental perennial garden, an ornamental shade garden, a nocturnal moon garden, a container vegetable garden, a Japanese garden and a medicinal ornamental garden (what Carlson describes as one of his “most anticipated and unique” gardens).
“The interaction between Kent State and the Northeast Ohio green industry is a win-win situation for all,” he says. “Our plant donations come from many of the leading nurseries in our state.”
Kent State Salem is the only campus in the Kent State system to offer associate and bachelor’s degrees in horticulture studies. The campus features a well-established arboretum with more than 200 different types of trees, shrubs and cultivars, as well as hosta gardens and a Discovery Garden that teaches students to grow vegetables, which are donated to the local food pantry.