Garden Up is part of the growing movement of vertical and wall gardens around the world. It came to Owatonna with the help of Ella Rasp. This summer, she went on a trip to Singapore as a part of the  American Youth Leadership Program and after coming back, she realized that the courtyard was far from beautiful. She said this movement minimizes space and minimizes waste. Rasp would like it to start a conversation about sustainability. Sustainability isn’t hard or expensive- it’s the little changes that add up. The Student Council agreed to fund the purchase of sod. NHS and Key Club helped clean the space. Rasp said, “I pity the space. The center of the school going to waste when people could eat out there or have study hall or class experiments there. Make the most of what you have. The project is geared toward that.” To help with the project, Lowes donated pallets that have been sanded and stained for upcycling.

In the spring, Rasp and everyone that helped, hopes to do more with the Garden Up project. They want to create a compost system using leftovers from school lunches. To minimize the waste, succulents, or baby plants, are planted in recycled pop cans. New and healthier flowers will be planted along the sides of the garden to further beautify it. There will also be a grand opening. It’s purpose is to introduce the student body to the newly renovated garden space. The Owatonna Garden Up movement  has a Twitter page- @GardenUpOHS. Reducing waste and unnecessary resources are strategies that need to be applied outside of the garden, too. Look for more beautification after the snow melts this spring.