The
program, which started in 2002, provides on-campus garden plots for Bilkenters. For a $50
fee, a participant gets to use 20 square meters in a designated area on Middle Campus for
an entire year. Seeds, seedlings and organic fertilizers are available on site. And if you
like the idea but don't know much about gardening, Environmental Planning Management Unit
staff members are there to help.
Bilkent News talked with some of the Bilkenters who have participated in
the Organic Paradise Project. Yıldız Öztürk became involved the first year of the
project, after reading about it in the Bilkent News. Now, four growing
seasons later, she continues to plant many types of vegetables, from tomatoes to corn. She
also cans some of what she grows, to be eaten in the wintertime. Having grown up in a
house with a garden, she was already an experienced gardener. But she still consulted
Environmental Planning Management when she needed help. She believes that caring for
plants is a good way to get rid of some of the stress of modern life and take time for
yourself.
Another Organic Paradise Project gardener, Sadi Tuncer, says that he also enjoys having
his own garden, and for two years has grown tomatoes, corn, parsley and pumpkins.
Environmental Planning Management has helped him water and fertilize his plants. He finds
gardening a pleasant change from city life, and also a way to obtain healthy food.
For further information call ext. 2257-2258. Happy gardening!
Gülay
Acar (COMD/II)
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