Campus News
July 14th, 2026
MLGC, College partner on landscaping project
Grant-funded effort focused on Bumble Bee Rd. side of campus
The Mountain Laurel Garden Club continues to partner with Garrett College on campus landscaping projects. Pictured, left to right, are: (front row) Linda Harris, Nicole Zinn, and Patty Jones; (middle row) Bonnie Friend, Western Region Urban Forestry Coordinator Katherine Phillips, Bennett Helbig, Greg Koeln, Joan Lyon, and Kathy McNerney; and (back row) Ricky McFarland, Bobby Morgan, Wisdom Usikhifo, and David Broderick
The Mountain Laurel Garden Club’s landscaping partnership with Garrett College shifted direction with its latest project, moving from the Mosser Road side of campus to a Bumble Bee Road focus.
The project members, aided by a Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee grant that covered the costs of trees and shrubs, installed native flowering trees and shrubs in movable containers outside around the Student Center (400 Building). The project also benefited from a Chesapeake Bay Trust grant that covered the cost of the metal containers and soil.
“The container design is more conducive to student appreciation of these spaces,” said Mountain Laurel Garden Club Conservation Committee Chair Linda Harris, who noted the plants “are all flowering plants with spring, summer, fall, and winter interest.”
Harris said there was an added bonus to using the locations selected for the containers.
“Anyone walking from the parking lot to the various college buildings is able to see and enjoy the landscaping,” said Harris, who commended the efforts of Garrett College’s Facilities Department during the installation.
Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College’s president, said the project has “really transformed the campus exterior on the Bumble Bee side of campus.”
“Three of our most recent major renovation projects – the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College, the Student Center, and the Daniel E. Offutt III STEM Center – are on the Bumble Bee side of campus,” noted Midcap. “The MLGC partnership, supported by the Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee grant, has helped the College create a brighter, much more welcoming environment.”