By Greg Minor
Student Reporter
National indoor plant week is the third week of September; this week is to celebrate the key to life, in our offices and in the resident halls. The benefits plants bring to our lives are often overlooked.
Dr. James Bell associate vice president for academics and dean of faculty, said, “I enjoy plants.” Bell receives starts of plants from faculty around campus and grows them in his office.
He collects these plants, not only to decorate his office, but also to give him something to remember someone by. “Almost every plant is connected to people I know,” Dr. Bell said. “A lady that passed away a long time ago gave me a start of a plant.” The plant she gave him has been with him for 12-15 years.
Erin Davis, University Relations specialist, also enjoys her 20 named succulents. She has the intentions of doing a before photo of when she receives them in the mail, and an after photo of her succulents to see how far they have come.
“I did not name them,” She explained. She posted the photos on her Facebook page and received some comments. “My friend
Mickey Jordan commented on those photos, giving each one a name, a full life story. Each one of the succulents has a life story with it.”
The faculty are not the only ones with indoor plants. Peyton Baggs, a sophomore agriculture major, grows all sorts of different plants: from succulents, stiff cactuses, even jalapeños and cantaloupes in his room. Baggs has been growing plants since his junior year of high school.
Last year, Baggs said, “I grew tomatoes the first semester and in the second semester I grew a watermelon.”
