Why Rooftop Gardening Is Thriving at Auburn University
October 6, 2023 
Photo: Auburn University
Plants on the rooftop of Auburn University’s Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center and Laurel Hotel & Spa live far from an ordinary life. They have little respite from the rain, an unrelenting sun, and wind that whips through their leaves.
Surviving the elements is a tall task for even the hardiest of plants on the Walt and Ginger Woltosz Rooftop Terrace. Luckily, they have a team of Auburn University scientists and students on their side.
“We’ve been remarkably successful at growing plants up there. They do well in spite of the fact that it’s windy and it’s full sun,” says Desmond Layne, a professor and head of the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture. “If you choose the right plants and you make sure that they have adequate water and fertility, you can mulch them and so on, you can grow plants up there most of the year.”
The eventual fate for these rooftop plants is a few floors below in the 1856 — Culinary Residence or the Laurel Hotel & Spa, where students from the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management in the College of Human Sciences are gaining real-world experience. Vegetables may find their way to a dinner plate, herbs garnish cocktails, and flowers brighten up the hotel.
“As far as I know, Auburn is the only land-grant university that has a rooftop garden where we’re providing plants to a student-run restaurant,” Layne says. “We’re working directly with the chefs and trying to grow what they want and that’s what makes this very special.”
What’s also special is how Auburn horticulturists leverage science-backed strategies in the rooftop garden.
“Our goals in managing the rooftop garden are to provide a unique hands-on learning experience for our students, engage with other academic units on campus, and provide a service to the community,” says Daniel Wells, Director of the rooftop garden and an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture. “We still have a lot to learn and hopefully have a lot to contribute to the science of rooftop gardening, which is a relatively new field in urban agriculture.”
Continue reading at wire.auburn.edu.
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