ENGL 390, Science Writing, Plants Spring Flowering Bulbs Around Tawes Hall

Despite the gloomy and windy weather on Saturday, November 1st, lecturer Marybeth Shea and her Science Writing class teamed up with University Horticulturist Sam Bahr to plant spring flowering bulbs around Tawes Hall.

In Marybeth Shea’s ENGL390, Science Writing, students often discuss sustainability. As a Chesapeake Fellow on campus, Marybeth aims to incorporate the theme of sustainability into her curriculum. Marybeth is also a Stamp Service Learning Fellow, and incorporates service learning into her class. The Tawes Hall planting project provided a great opportunity for both service learning and sustainability.

“The planting of the spring flowering bulbs is an attempt to enhance the educational experience of our students and to provide a more attractive environment for our students, faculty and staff,” said Bahr.

“This addition of the spring flowering bulbs will provide more color and excitement to Tawes Plaza landscape in the spring.”

Tawes Plaza should expect to see Camassia, Chionodoxa, Ipheion, Dwarf Iris, Leucojum, and Muscari. Depending on the weather, the Dwarf Iris and Chionodoxa bulbs could bloom in late February or early March. The Leucojum and the Camassia are likely to blossom in late May.

When selecting the Tawes Hall bulbs, Bahr selected species that need very little additional care, which also supports the concept of sustainability. Bahr took the site’s conditions into consideration, such as the amount of sun, shade, and soil moisture.

“The entire University of Maryland campus is an Arboretum and Botanical Garden,” said Bahr.

“These unusual bulbs will add to the diversity of the Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s plant collection. If these plantings are as successful as that I am hoping that they will be, they will serve as an inspiration for many people to incorporate these low care bulbs into their own gardens.”