IU's Hilltop offers garden of opportunities

Freshman Trisha Johnson was very excited to hear about the Hilltop Gardening and Nature Center's individual plots for sale. \n"I loved to garden at home, but really miss it at school," Johnson said. "I would definitely like to get a garden plot of my own to use here in Bloomington. I'm pretty sure I couldn't plant any corn in front of the dorm."\nThe individual garden plots run for $60 plus a $30 tool deposit fee which includes mulch, tools and water. They are about 10 by 12 feet in size. One orientation session is required and the growing season runs from May 17 to Oct.18. \nThe Hilltop Garden Center offers many other programs and activities as well. One is the Hilltop Summer Youth Garden Program from Jun. 7 to Aug. 9. The program, for kids ages seven and up, is a summer camp within an organic garden and includes field trips, games, crafts and guest speakers. \nAnother activity is volunteer work. \n"Hilltop is always looking for volunteers," said Program Coordinator Nathan Denn. "Typical volunteer work could include general grounds work, garden work and greenhouse work."\nHilltop Garden and Nature Center started in 1948 and is one of the first youth gardens in the country. Hilltop is also a program of the Department of Recreation and Park Administration in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at IU. The organization continues to grow each year and offers everything from community gardening to nature education. The center also owns the Seward Preserve, a 20-acre wooded nature preserve in Monroe County. It is the site of many nature and woodland ecology programs. \n"Hilltop promotes lifetime attitudes of respect for and nurturance of the earth and its inhabitants through sharing in gardening experiences, environmental education and community involvement," Denn said.\nHilltop employee Marcia Figueiredo works with the therapeutic horticulture area of the organization. \n"We do a little bit of therapeutic horticulture," Figueiredo said. "I have a group of developmentally disabled people from Stonebelt."\nThis group comes from Stonebelt to volunteer and help with the gardening, which Figueiredo said is a great activity for both the mind and body.\n"We are also interested in year-round plant sales and focusing on native and endangered plants in Indiana," she said. \nFigueiredo said Hilltop also grows heirloom vegetables -- plants whose seeds have been passed down plant to plant for 50 years or more. Hilltop employees mostly work with peppers and tomatoes, but also work with a few other types of heirloom plants. \n"They are plants with a history," Figueiredo said.\nJohnson, a self proclaimed garden expert, plans on visiting Hilltop this spring. \n"I think what you get is definitely worth the cost for the plot," she said. "I would like to learn more about Hilltop."\nFor more information regarding these opportunities or to request a registration packet, contact Nathan Denn, program coordinator at 855-2799 or hilltop@indiana.edu. It is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visitors must check in with Hilltop staff upon arrival. \n-- Contact staff writer Cecelia Wolford at cwolford@indiana.edu.