New teaching garden planted on Northern campus

From Montana State University-Northern

Returning students, faculty and staff at Montana State University-Northern may have noticed a new addition to the landscape on the east side of Hagener Science Center near the northeast entry door. 

Early this spring and over the summer, Terri Hildebrand and Kino Detrick, along with students from the grounds crew, created the first of several teaching gardens on the Northern campus. The new garden adds color and beauty to HSC's exterior and provides hands-on opportunities for students to learn about plants as well as the environments in which they grow. Teaching Garden I features an assortment of horticultural varieties found in the Havre area in addition to several wild-growing plants both native and nonnative to the surrounding prairies and mountains. 

The emphasis on plant selection for this first garden was to provide a bright and blooming space that complements the surrounding area, particularly the central green that anchors Cowan Hall and surrounding buildings. As development of Teaching Garden I continues, Hildebrand anticipates providing signage for each species.  Identification signs detail the plant's scientific and common names, family, a brief description of where they grow, and, if applicable, human use.  

  Currently, Teaching Gardens II, III and IV are in the planning stages, each of which illustrates regions found in Montana. Teaching Garden II, also located on the east side of HSC but adjacent to the opposite entry door, will include subalpine and alpine native plants that represent Montana's mountainous regions, including the Bears Paw Mountains. 

Teaching Garden III, potentially located on the south side of HSC, will make use of bright sunlight to display a garden that focuses on native plants growing on central Montana prairies. 

At a location yet to be determined, plants growing in Teaching Garden IV will represent riparian and other wetland regions of Montana. 

Hildebrand said she is excited to discuss additional teaching garden locations with other MSU-N faculty and staff with all gardens spotlighting specific features that enhance student learning. Some garden possibilities include medicinal plants, commercial agriculture crops, consumer food production plants, species used in dyes, potential fuel plants and many others.

Members of the campus community are invited to visit Teaching Garden I and to incorporate the garden into their classes, such as still-life subjects for art classes. Some species may have a place in history, and early settlers or indigenous people used others. 

The teaching gardens have the potential to transform the MSU-N landscape to include living, growing and dynamic exterior classrooms, staff said. People in the Havre community and area garden clubs are invited to enjoy the garden as they walk through campus.