Coloring Outside the Lines

When Amanda Solliday, a horticultural science Ph.D. student, had the idea for a cut-flower garden on campus, she envisioned growing exclusively red and white flowers to display at university events. She saw the garden as a way to promote sustainability through local flower cultivation, offer students volunteer and leadership opportunities, and foster real-world skills. As the garden has progressed from idea to reality, it has accomplished nearly all of those goals.

The flowers, which Solliday and other garden volunteers started from seed, surprised everyone when they bloomed not only in red and white, but also in shades of pink, yellow and orange. “At first I was like, ‘Oh, gosh, the project’s a bust,’” says Solliday. But then she decided to roll with it. “You have to be creative in horticulture,” she says.

The varied color palette opened possibilities Solliday didn’t imagine. She gave away some of the pink flowers to a beginning horticulture class and was able to incorporate donated sunflowers into the unexpectedly colorful arrangements. 

With few events on campus over the summer, and the zinnias and celosias constantly blooming, Solliday connected with Feed the Pack to hand out bouquets to students at the food pantry. She says the students gasped when they saw the arrangements. Flowers, she says, “feed the soul.”

Solliday expects to complete her Ph.D. in December, but she’s taking careful notes to pass along to the next student-leader. The garden, which is located at the Horticultural Field Laboratories, is already an interdisciplinary project, but she hopes it continues to promote community.

“It’s been one of those projects where you don’t realize how meaningful it is until it gets rolling.” 

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