Unbeknownst to most of the campus, there is a little patch of green down by the tennis courts, hidden among the subdued hues of the concrete and cars.

Karen Talbot tends to the garden, and has nurtured it into what it is today. The first class she taught here was in 1999, and since then, she says, more people have continued to get involved.

When Talbot first started working here, there wasn’t much of a garden to begin with.

“There was barely more than soil,” she said. Now there are fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers flourishing throughout the garden. Talbot believes  most of the plants’ success has to do with the quality of the California soil.

“The soil is great,” Talbot said, “and the plants get a lot of sun here. It gets really sunny and hot. “

With the help of the horticulture program, and other volunteers, students, and staff members, the garden gets plenty of love.

Flowers are sent weekly to the Norseman Café, DVC’s on-campus restaurant. Herbs, fruit, and vegetables are all delivered to the Norseman, the Monument Crisis Center, day programs, and other individuals.

Occasionally, Talbot e-mails the staff members of DVC, and lets them know that they can come in and pick flowers, collect fruits and vegetables, or just hang out in the garden for a while.

There’s no restriction on who can visit the garden, and visitors range from pre-school and day care centers to the residents of assisted living facilities. Talbot encourages DVC students to visit.

Organized by plant type, the garden offers flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs, many of which are edible.

Along the wheelchair- accessible paths within the garden, exotic plants such as kiwis, candy-cane zinnias, bright-light Swiss chard, tall sunflowers, and lemon verbena. The grainy-textured leaves of the verbena, a native of South America, actually smell like lemons and can be used in tea and perfume.

And for those who enjoy drying flowers, there are the achillea. These come in several colors that don’t fade when dried. In the DVC garden, there are orange, white, pink and purple versions.

So why not have lunch among flowers, berries and butterflies, between calculus and English, or spend a moment finding inspiration for your art class?

The garden’s additional Open Garden Days will be Friday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. On those days, there will be bags, shears, and scissors available so you can enjoy the bounty of the garden, gather some Halloween squash or flowers for drying. This fall, there will be a bulb sale fundraiser featuring daffodils, tulips, irises and more.

Contact Carly Jones at [email protected]