Culinary Arts, Earthwatch doing the dirty work

Earthwatch and Culinary Arts are taking spring in stride and making the school a better place for next year’s students. How so?

By planting gardens, of course.

Bartlett is getting a little greener (and purpler and pinker and yellower…) with the addition of two new gardens, a flower garden by Earthwatch and an herb garden by Culinary Arts.

Culinary Arts is planning practical uses for its garden, while Earthwatch intends to brighten up a common student walkway and raise environmental awareness. Both are intended to beautify the school.

The herb garden was the brainchild of Marsha Johnson, culinary arts instructor and overseer of the Panther’s Den, and business teacher Cathy Bishop, who oversees E4, the Panther Bookstore.

“Gardening is my hobby,” Bishop said, who has been in charge of the flower beds at the front of the school for four years.

The herb garden should be an asset to future student chefs at Bartlett, teaching them to recognize aromas and distinguish quality herbs from non-quality ones. A variety of plants–including different types of thyme and lemon grass–will grow.

“We want students to see that food comes from places other than Kroger,” Johnson said.

The herb garden is also cost-friendly: Not only will it be entered in a school beautification contest that will hopefully earn the school some money, but by growing herbs instead of buying them, the culinary arts classes will save money.

“[There is] a cost factor. Herbs are very expensive to buy but not expensive to grow,” Johnson said. “For what we’re spending on herbs now we can manage the garden.”

Earthwatch is getting permission to plant the garden this week. They plan to plant flowers in the patch of grass between the student and teacher parking lots, where the portables used to be. No further information was available at publish date.