By Taylor Woods
With the first day of Spring recently passing on March 20, some of the parish’s collegiate students looked to try new hobbies or develop a green thumb.
As flowers begin to sprout and pollen swirls, it can be very tricky to get into gardening without any existing knowledge or supplies.
“O’Neal’s Farm and Garden in Ruston,” Geraldine Gravois, a sophomore at Tech, said as suggestions for stores to get supplies. “They had nice plants growing outside and a pretty greenhouse setup, along with a lot of different types of soil and feeds.”
Apart from O’Neal’s Farm and Garden, some different places that carry supplies can be Walmart Garden Center, Lowes Garden Center and Tech’s Greenhouse.
“I bought succulents from the (Plant Sell at Tech) had back in the fall quarter. One of the cacti I got had a lot so I have nearly 30 cacti from that single one,” Gravois said. “I definitely want to garden more.”
Lorelei Worley, another Tech student, said gardening can also serve as an outlet for self-expression or aid in mental health.
“It’s really helped my mental health. I was really happy as they (pink tulips) slowly bloomed,” Worley said. “Taking care of them really helped me deal with my stress.”
There are lots of opportunities that students can take to start gardening this spring along with those who wish to expand their gardening. All it takes is a bit of research, water and dedication for something to blossom.
