The Gan Ilan Garden Club has had quite a bountiful spring this year, despite the three snowstorms in March, and the unusually cold April. When the garden started three years ago, students planted a few perennials— that will come back year after year— including thyme, chives and lavender. The chives and thyme are wonderful cooking herbs, that were used to flavor the grilled chicken at the freshman BBQ. The lavender is so fragrant—it smells like a perfume shop! Students will use it to make lavender shea butter hand cream in the fall. In terms of veggies, the club planted a spring crop of red Russian kale, mizuna (an Asian leafy green), radishes and turnips. Club members take home some of the produce, and the rest is donated to the Center for Food Action. Tomatoes and cabbage were planted for the summer crops. The club looks forward to new members joining next fall when they will be restarting their compost program, and using the finished compost as fertilizer in the wonderful garden!