Urban Garden To Fill Empty Lot

Plans are in the works to transform the empty one acre lot in front of Lowell House on Mt. Auburn Street into an idyllic garden with walking paths, seating space, and rows of fruit and vegetables.

The garden is currently in the design stage, but planting should begin this semester, according to Environmental Action Committee chair Katharine S. Walter ’10.

“We thought that having a green space and having an urban garden in Cambridge would be a great way to get students involved in sustainable agriculture,” Walter said.

A poll sent over House e-mail lists requested undergraduate input on the design and features of the garden, listing possibilities such as “avant-garde sculpture” and “state-of-the art composting systems.”

In the survey, students were asked to rank their preferences for what the garden should feature. Options included food, flowers and ornamental plants, open lawn space, performance space, seating, and artwork.

The poll also requested suggestions for possible garden names.

EAC member Zachary C. Arnold ’10 said that while funding sources for the development of the space are still uncertain, undergraduates will be working closely with the administration to determine possible funding.

So far, the Lowell House masters have been contacted regarding the garden, but are “not super involved,” Walter said.

Despite the uncertainty regarding funding and the garden’s specific design, Arnold said that the group hopes the garden will be planted by the end of the school year.

According to Walter, the garden planning began about a year ago as a project of the EAC.

The group envisions student volunteers maintaining and tending to the garden.

Walter said she also hopes classes will incorporate the space into their curriculum.

“It will be a great opportunity to have more outdoor spaces for students, which Harvard really lacks right now,” she said.