A couple of weekends ago, I enjoyed my Sunday morning at the NUHS Summer Garden Party event. Did you know that NUHS has a student-led garden right on campus? It is pretty neat! I was part of the spring cleanup party, which included mulching, weeding, pruning, and planting. It was a wonderful way to enjoy nature and sunshine time, and it was great to be amongst plants and like-minded people.

I also got the opportunity to interact with and learn more about the botanical garden. Some of the botanicals I got to see first-hand and learn about included St. John’s wort, mint, thyme, lemon balm, rhubarb, wormwood, marshmallow, elderberry, wild garlic, milkweed, plantain, yarrow, Chinese boxwood, purple nettle, sage, chamomile, hyssop, and rue.

As a group, we planted many more botanicals that morning. Some I saw being planted included chicory, milk thistle, mullein, calendula, dandelion, ground cherries, and sunflowers for this year’s on-campus garden. I cannot wait to see the garden change over the course of the summer! I will be visiting it often.

I am grateful to have real-life interactions with some of the botanicals we have been learning about in the program. I already have been exposed to many of them while gardening and foraging back home in Wisconsin, but it is wonderful to appreciate the beauty, diversity, and see the botanicals in a new way. For me, it supports learning and hands-on experiencing.

It was also great to see Dr. Salvatore in the garden that morning! I have not seen him that much outside of the anatomy lab (his hangout place), and it was nice to see him in a different setting.