- Campus , The University
- 11/03/2024
Spring is in the air: TU/e community starts a garden
PhD student Eugene Mamulova is hooked on gardening and believes there must be more enthusiasts on campus. She now tries to find them to grow her little gardening community. Mamulova won last year’s diversity fund contest which helps to grow her project on campus. “Making something out of almost nothing is really magical about gardening.”
“We are basically a handful of enthusiasts now,” Mamulova says. “But I’m sure there are many more people at TU/e who enjoy gardening and I hope to find them so our community can grow further. Everyone can join and I hope for a nice mix of students and staff from different departments.”
If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, mark March 14 and March 21 in your agenda. “On the 14th we will meet to make plans together and then on the 21st we’ll start planting.” The community – or maybe future association - doesn’t have a name yet. “I keep referring to it as ‘the greenhouse community’, to let people know it’s a community they can join. I did already hear from people wanting to join and help out as soon as possible.”
“I think this topic could easily excite people, that wasn’t my fear. The challenge is more how to find them. It’s hard to write to all people on campus at once if you’re ‘just’ one person.” Well, writing to Cursor with an initiative like this may help to spread the word indeed.
Her own little jungle
“My PhD research is about Fluid Dynamics (Building Physics research group, department of Built Environment, ed.) and I focus on the airflow indoors,” Mamulova explains. “But I have always been interested in health and agriculture as well,” bringing up her hobby. She lives in an apartment with a small outdoor space mainly there for the mechanical exhaust ventilation but she managed to create a little green jungle there. “In a safe way of course, not too close to the hot parts. Plants would burn there anyway.”
“Over the time I got a lot better at gardening. I learned a lot because I enjoy doing it,” she says. “I really think that’s the way to go and I hope more people will also experience this.”
Sure, gardening is healthy and useful alike, but many things are. Why would this green hobby be the best pick for people’s limited free time? “The little tasks, how you can get lost in pruning plants, or fertilizing grounds and boom, two hours have passed and your mind is completely relaxed.” Her eyes smile: “And creating something out of almost nothing. I think anyone who has ever gardened recognizes that feeling.”
Want to join?
On March 14 there is a kick-off event at the Green Room in Atlas (0.705) to exchange ideas with gardening enthusiasts and make plans on what to grow in the communal greenhouse. On March 21 the TU/e garden will start to grow by all interested people planting seeds and fruit and vegetable plants in the greenhouse that is located close to the LOT community space, the three new residential towers and the Student Sports’ Center. In case you want more information you can contact Eugene Mamulova via email or just fill out the interest form.
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