Written by: Tiina Ynnilä, UEF

Inspired by the Fascination of Plants Day, the ᴇNᴀBʟS team of the University of Eastern Finland visited one of the university’s campus gardening areas and checked how spring sowing is going.

The University of Eastern Finland offers its students and staff opportunities for gardening on both campuses in Kuopio and Joensuu as part of the university’s sustainability and responsibility activities. The University provides cultivation facilities with boxes with growth media and water points. There are many kinds of people and groups with different purposes for cultivation. The School of Pharmacy, for instance, cultivates medicinal plants for educational use.  

One of the gardening groups is the UEF library staff. Their two garden boxes are in the inner yard of the Melania building in the campus of Kuopio. Library amanuensis Eeva Honkanen, information services advisor Heta Mikkonen, and information specialist Tarja Turunen grow vegetables and flowers.

They started campus cultivation activities in 2015, with people in the group changing over the years. This year they selected carrots, tomatoes, arugula, peas, herbs, and flowers for cultivation. Sometimes they have even tried strawberries. Watering plants and maintenance of these mini gardens are nice and refreshing outdoor activities during, for example, a lunch break. The final harvest outcomes are brought to the library staff’s coffee room for everyone to taste and enjoy. The flowers will be brought to the library’s customer service desk to cheer up students and other staff members.

Campus gardening is a great activity for both students and staff. Check UEF’s campus gardening video with international students from the Joensuu campus: