"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow" - Audrey Hepburn
This past year has been a period of remarkable growth for our Garden Club! The idea first took root during the 2023-2024 school year when Ava Gildehaus '24 began discussing the option of starting a gardening club on campus. She approached Mrs. Lisa Payne to be the faculty moderator, then together they got to work enlisting other interested students, planting the seeds, both literally and figuratively, for what was to come.
As the 2024-2025 school year began, the club welcomed new students and coworkers, all eager to learn and get their hands dirty. They quickly set to work, tending existing green spaces on Ursuline's campus and nurturing a variety of small vegetables and flowers from seedlings to harvest. Then, in the Spring semester, their hard work paid off in the form of two exciting updates!
The first was the installation of two beehives in the garden space. Club members, under the guidance of beekeeper Mr. Glenn Powers (husband of Julie Tintera Powers '77 and father of Abby Powers '14), installed the beautiful hand-painted hives and began to gain valuable hands-on experience in the vital role of pollinators and colony care. This was soon followed by the exciting news that the club had secured a grant through Seed St. Louis.
Driven by the club’s growing interest, Mrs. Payne, an avid home gardener, began exploring ways she could offer more support to the students and their goals for the garden.In January 2024, she met with Seed St. Louis, a local organization that provides resources and grants for community and school gardens in the region. Mrs. Payne embarked on a comprehensive application process to become a part of the Seed St. Louis network, collaborating with a group of coworkers to brainstorm ideas and gather resources. By March 2025, all the requirements were met, and the club received a $1,000 grant from Seed St. Louis, enabling the installation of four raised garden beds and a three-bin compost system, significantly enhancing the garden’s infrastructure.
The dream of a school garden has become a beautiful reality, brought to life by countless students, coworkers, Ursuline sisters, and other dedicated community members. From the initial seed planted by one student to the impressive fruits of two years of labor, it now stands as a thriving testament to the time, passion, and care invested by all involved. We extend our deepest gratitude to our students, Mrs. Payne, and our community members for their incredible hard work. We eagerly anticipate the continued cultivation of the garden and its keepers as a cherished part of the Ursuline campus.
In addition, we extend our sincere thanks to Amy Morris ’82, with N. G. Heimos Greenhouse Inc. and Millstadt Young Plants, for a generous donation of plants to fill the new beds, Sherwood's Forest Nursery for their generous contribution of various flower and vegetable plants now thriving in the garden, and the Webster Groves Herb Society for donating five different types of lavender.