HISTORY

Our Origins

The Holistic Garden began as a 30ft. X 30ft. teaching garden in 1984. It has grown steadily through the years and now is a complex of small gardens that are nearly two acres in size. The original garden offered instruction in garden science to 20 students. Currently over a thousand undergraduates will work in the garden, develop projects that improve the garden, participate in the tours for children and others or be involved in special projects such as garden "open houses" for the University community.

The Holistic Garden Mission

The goal of the Holistic Garden is to maintain an educational garden environment designed to imporove quality of life for persons of all ages and abilities. This garden provides complete interaction between all elevements of the garden ecosystem and the gardener. In a world in which the natural environment is constantly under attack, the Holistic Teaching Garden strives to help gardeners learn new ways of gardening so that by working with nature in the garden (and not fighting nature) the garden becomes less demanding in money, resources and time and gardening becomes a more pleasurable experience.

Current Programs

We are doing the new pavers program and vegitable trail plots in the garden. The Whole Scoop! garden newsletter is published quarterly and posted on the website.

Future Growth

The Holistic Garden is to be part of the campus gardens trail. We are planning a new parking facility to host the many volunteers that dedicate their time to the maintenance of the gardens. In the near future, the Trail of Texas Native Edible and Medicinal Plants will be added.