Where there’s green, there’s new life. This winter, Kemptville Campus has retained horticulturalist Claude Smith to oversee new activity in the campus’ community greenhouses, and she couldn’t be more thrilled to be at the centre of it. If you walk through the front door during public opening hours, you’ll get a peek into a few different green-thumb activities and businesses at work inside.
Most recently, there was a small crowd of people eagerly listening to a lecture by Naturopathic Dr. Shawn Yakimovich as he ran a four-part workshop series on practical herbal medicine in the lecture hall area. One of the workshop participants spoke to Claude to describe how the previous lecture had a lingering effect.
“I couldn’t stay away! Talking about plants and then working with the plants this week – it just makes me happy!”
“Yes!” Claude agreed. “It’s good for your mental health; it’s good for your physical health. The plants give off oxygen, and we give off carbon dioxide, so it’s symbiotic. We need them!”
A graduate of the original Kemptville Agricultural College’s horticulture program, Claude started teaching when the Kemptville Campus was still part of the University of Guelph. She's now working at the greenhouse and regularly writes a gardening column in the North Grenville Times. Just a few minutes into a discussion with Claude, it’s clear to see that the vitality of the plants has seeped right through her skin. Her face beams as she speaks about why she wants to be at the greenhouses.
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