Grab a trowel, sign up for campus flower planting

May 18, 2016

Carla Browning

Photo by Carla Browning
Photo by Carla Browning


Soon, more than 10,000 square feet of flower beds will be bursting with color on the Fairbanks campus. But the flowers have to get in the ground first.

This year volunteers from the campus and community are invited to grab a garden trowel and  join the fun on Wednesday June 8 from 9 a.m. - noon.

There are 21 separate beds for volunteers to plant. Teams will be organized on West Ridge and in the core area of campus. You will receive a planting trowel and refreshments will be available; volunteers should bring their own gardening gloves.

All participants who plant for at least an hour will be entered into a prize drawing to win a flower basket from Plant Kingdom. Two baskets will be given away.

Sign up today and share with your friends and family. Be sure to use the hashtag #uafplantingday when posting photos to social media. Download and post the flier in your department.

The UAF grounds crews cultivate and maintain over 50,000 flowers and plants each year, but because staffing levels have changed, they could really use your help getting the beds planted.

Want to do more?
Employees or departments also can adopt a flower bed, planter or basket for the summer, roughly June 6–Sept. 2. This involves planting the spaces, watering on a weekly basis and ensuring the bed is free of weeds. A sign in the bed will credit the individual or department for adding to the beauty of our campus. Download the form to sign up (pdf)

Your participation allows UAF grounds crews time to focus on other areas of campus and helps to give students and visitors a positive impression of our campus.


Ruth Hewitt Endowment

The flowers for campus are purchased using private funds through the  Ruth Hewitt Endowment, a fund that was set aside for landscaping and beautification of campus.