From its athletics to its clubs, Harriton is full of unique surprises that make it a great high school to attend. Among all these spectacular surprises is the Harriton Garden. The Banner interviewed the two students who help run the garden, Julia Udicious and Emily Willkomm. Hopefully if you didn’t know about the Harriton Community Garden till now, you’ll soon learn everything you need to know, from where it is located, to where the actual produce grown is sent!

Harriton Banner: What exactly is the Harriton Garden?

Harriton Garden: The Harriton Garden is a vegetable garden that was created in 2009 by Mr. Ferraro, one of Harriton’s science teachers. Mr. Ferraro takes care of the garden during the year. However, during the summer, Mr. Ferraro is not around to take care of the garden, so students can volunteer to maintain the garden and harvest the vegetables. The vegetables are then donated to a community organization. This past summer, we donated the harvest to the Ada Mutch Community Resource Center, part of ElderNet.

HB: Where is it located?

HG: The garden is located against an exterior wall of the building near the teacher parking lot.

HB: How long has there been a Harriton Garden?

HG: Since 2009, but students only started taking care of the garden in the summers of 2013 and 2014

HB: What inspired you guys to run it?

HG Julia: It started because I was looking for an Independent Service Project for IB. When Ms. Celebre mentioned the Harriton Garden, I knew it was perfect! I’m active in Harriton’s Environmental Club, and I love helping my community. I asked Emily to join me. Our neighbors ran the garden in 2013, so we both already knew about it and were eager to get involved. Running the garden turned out to be a fun and rewarding experience!

HB: Do either of you have your own garden at home?

HG Emily: Every summer my mom plants a vegetable garden with tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, strawberries, carrots, and zucchini. I often help with the daily tasks such as watering and weed pulling. It is very rewarding when we eat our own home grown foods for dinner!

HB: What kinds of things are growing in the garden?

HG: In the Harriton Garden we take care of many tomato plants, green peppers, and beans.

HB: What are your favorite things to grow in general?

HG Emily: Tomatoes. They are easy and I love eating them.

HG Julia: I like herbs because they can be grown inside and they look beautiful in addition to being delicious!

HB: What is the garden going to do now that it’s fall?

HG: All the food that was grown has been collected and donated. However, at the time being nothing is being done with the garden, but students in the spring will replant all sorts of vegetables. Hopefully we can find people to take over the Harriton Community Garden for the summer.

HB: How can students who want to help out get involved in the Harriton Garden?

HG: Look out for more information about ways to volunteer coming this spring! And if you’re interested in all things green, check out Harriton’s Environmental Club. You can email me, Julia Udicious, to get on the Enviro Club email list.

If the Harriton Garden sounds as magical to you as it does to us, make sure to email [email protected] to be put onto the Environmental Club email list and stay updated!