By Max Reid

As of last September, one of the newest clubs to infiltrate the student body is the Horticultural Society, sponsored by James Pembrook and founded by Amanda Yu.

Google describes horticulture as “relating to the art or practice of garden cultivation and management”, but in reality it’s not as boring nor complicated as it may sound.

“[It’s] basically growing plants,” Pembrook said when asked to define horticulture. “There’s a lot of people who confuse it with botany, which is the study of plants, but horticulture is just growing plants.”

The main goal for the club right now is to break ground on a garden, something the students have been planning since the club was started in September.

Mr. Pembrook, a biology and physical science teacher here at Grandview, is an experienced gardener who can provide great aid in the process of building a garden.

If we can get food production to our community, we can have a community farm and give to those less fortunate.

“I have a pretty extensive vegetable garden that’s like 100 feet by 175 feet,” Pembrook said “The entire front yard is just ornamentals and herbs.”

Although building a garden may not seem like too hard of a task for experienced gardeners, there are many hurdles the club needs to jump in order to even start breaking ground on the project.

“We’re talking with grounds about the possibility of building a garden right now. They want it to be a slower process because they want students to maintain it and for it not to be just a giant mess of weeds, in which case they would have to come in and tear it out.,” Pembrook said.

Pembrook knows that the students will be responsible with the garden, realizing that the students here are respectful and the garden would be maintained by the student body.

Although Pembrook believes that the student body would be responsible with the garden, he acknowledged the challenge of raising the amount of money needed to build the garden in the first place.

“Right now we’re in the fundraising stage. If we can get the money for soil, tools, fencing material, because you can’t have deer eating all your plants, it shouldn’t be that long”

Despite the fact that there are a few obstacles in the way, Pembrook is confident that they will break ground as soon as this winter or maybe even spring.

In anticipation for the garden, students in the club have already started mocking up plans for not only what will be planted, but different ways the student body can interact with the garden.

“With the FCCLA, some of the students have talked to the teacher involved with it and it would be awesome if we could supply food to them” Pembrook said “It would really help the school climate and the school culture.”

The club is also looking outside the school with the intention of aiding the community.

“If we can get food production to our community, we can have a community farm and give to those less fortunate.”

Having a garden also uncovers an educational goldmine, as science teachers can use the garden to teach botany and geography teachers can use the garden during agricultural units.

While some think Horticulture Society may not be for them, they could find that indulging in gardening may be a rewarding experience.

“A lot of people are like ‘ew plants’, but they’re really the foundation of our entire civilization”

Grandview is an excellent school, and the addition of Horticulture Society will only make it better and more beautiful.

“It just beautifies an area. Rather than just having grass, a couple shrubs, and a couple trees, you have something that’s way more diverse and way more sustainable and better reflects the species diversity you find in nature.”

Horticulture club meets every tuesday morning from 7:30 to 8:15 in L305, please join and support the club if you are interested.