Editor’s note: Photos are from students in COMM 1318 Photography 1. Students in COMM 2311-601 news writing worked on choosing quotes, organization, and photo placement. Featured photo by Nayeli Deleon-Hart.
The secret to pear picking probably isn’t just the grabbing. It’s also in a twist of the wrist. Just ask the photography students from COMM 1318 Photography 1.
With buckets and smartphone cameras in hand, students went in search of the ripest fruit in the gardens behind the Wilburn and Helen Wheeler Science Center on the Levelland campus last week.
They came away with Bartlett Pears says Kristin Bingham, associate professor and chairperson of the SPC Department of Biology. “We have three varieties of pears growing,” she says, “but the other two types are yellow/golden skin Asian varieties.”
But pears aren’t the only produce growing behind the science building.
Altogether, Bingham says, there are four apple trees, three pear trees, a cherry tree, an apricot tree, and three pomegranate trees in the garden.
“I knew there was a greenhouse on campus where students grew plants,” says photography student Robert Wilson, “but I didn’t know they also had fruit trees as well, so it was a very pleasant surprise.”
Bingham says fruit has been produced in abundance in the garden this season. There was plenty of rain this spring. She also points out the trees in the garden are irrigated regularly.
“As of today,” she says, “we have harvested 17 lbs. of apples, 2.5 lbs. of onions
and shallots, and 3.5 lbs. of garlic since the beginning of the fall season.”
In addition to Bartlett Pears, Bingham says there were two apple varieties that were ripe last week as well.
As a result, at the beginning of this week a basket full of SPC grown apples appeared in the science building labelled “free”.
It included a color-coded chart explaining what kinds of apples were inside along with what should be coming soon.
By the next day, the basket was empty and refilled again.
Keep an eye out for more in semesters to come. Bingham says the number of trees in the garden may be growing soon.
“We will be placing additional trees this fall,” she says, “as fall is the best time to plant trees in our zone.”
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