Community Garden Looks Forward to Spring Thaw

Ever had the urge to run out of the classroom and get your hands dirty? The Harvard Community Garden, located in the open lot in front of Lowell House, gives Harvard students just that opportunity.

"The purpose of the garden is to provide experiential hands-on education in what we feel is the critical issue of sustainable agriculture," said Kathleen M. Frith, administrative director of the garden.

Normally home to mixed beds of flowers and vegetables, the garden currently sits hidden under inches of snow. Garden volunteers joke that it has become one of Boston's many "snow farms."

This past winter, garden volunteers attempted to experiment with winter gardening to little success. The PVC pipe structures built to shield seedlings from the winter weather, however, were no match for the heavy snows and collapsed in December.

Rebecca J. Cohen '12, co-manager of the garden, said she expects growth in the garden in the near future.

"Once the soil thaws a little, we're going to be planting our first round of vegetables that can handle the early spring cold," Cohen said. "Expect to see green things growing as early as April!"