By Tanuja Hanmantgad

St. Cuthbert’s Society certainly boasts beautiful grounds – from the charming Wendy House gardens, to the large and prolific green spaces behind House 8 and 12. These exist as locations whereby students can relax, study, catch up with friends, and even dance (i.e. Cuth’s Day!) – and are central to all aspects of student life. Indeed, research conducted by Aghabozorgi et al as found that the presence of green spaces such as forests, botanical gardens, and grounds on university campuses, have been positively correlated with improved mental health and wellbeing. Students who are able to access and enjoy such spaces have reported lower levels of stress and a high mood.

Students play a significant role in the maintenance of our grounds and gardens – and Cuth’s Gardening Society is preparing to return for 2025/26, with Harriet Wilson renewing her tenure as President, Dia Jivan-Pengelly stepping into the role of Vice President, and Marisa Scanlon as Social-Sec. I sat down with Harriet (a Second-Year History student) to discuss her plans for the new academic year – and how she has found gardening to be a therapeutic source of serenity amidst her academic and personal life.

How does the garden contribute to the college’s wider goals around sustainability and wellbeing?

“In my view the Garden contributes most clearly to the college’s wellbeing goals, offering a hidden and peaceful space for students to take a break from personal or academic pressures whenever they wish. Anyone may use the area to enjoy being outside either alone or with friends, and the Gardening Society sessions (which run every Sunday next to the Wendy House) also provide the opportunity to get involved with more hands-on activities alongside others in a relaxed, welcoming environment. As well as our weekly gatherings there are also the termly Bailey Garden cleanups to keep an eye out for, which help with meaningfully contributing towards the upkeep of Cuth’s green spaces and brings the community closer through volunteer participation. I would also highly recommend getting involved with the Evergreen Programme, which the Gardening Society actively supports. Thoughtfully organised and inclusive, Evergreen offers a wide range of activities that not only align with the college’s sustainability and wellbeing goals but also give participants the chance to develop new skills and meet new people in a warm, collaborative atmosphere.”

What kind of things do you grow? How do these benefit the college?

“We grow all sorts in the garden! Most of Michaelmas term was spent cleaning up or hiding from the cold, but in January we did a society trip to a nearby garden centre where we stocked up on supplies and came back with all sorts of exciting things. My favourites were the cucamelons and rainbow chard, but we also have planted more common vegetables such as shallots and beans, and less edible plants like our camellia. The raspberry bush is also very loved. Another planting bed was purposed for mixed flowers, but it’s always changing as we experiment and try to fit more in. So far I’d say some have benefitted the college aesthetically, with our poppy seeds a wonderful contribution to the war memorial, though currently only our members seem to gain from our edible products. Anyone is free to come along and have their say in what they think we should plant next!”

Developing a new skill alongside my degree and just getting involved with something completely random at uni, has helped with learning more about myself as a person“

Harriet Wilson, Gardening Society President

How do you encourage student involvement in the garden?

“Currently most of our encouragement comes from the Cuth’s Gardening Instagram account (@cuths_gardening) where we will share photos of what we have been up to, as well as advertise our events! Experience is definitely not needed for the society, as I’d never properly gardened before joining and ended up on the exec. Generally, we’ll have discussed the day’s activities at the previous session, and if it’s decided that something needs doing then we work together to get it done. It is all collaborative, though members can work individually planting a bed or weeding should they wish. There’s not many of us so it is nice to just spend some time being productive whilst talking to friends in a pretty location, and anyone new would be welcomed and soon get the hang of it.”

Do you feel as though involvement with the garden has been particularly beneficial for your mental wellbeing amidst academic commitments and stress?

“For sure, with the gardening scheduled weekly I have always seen it as some time at the end of the week to just spend time outdoors with good friends, ignoring any deadlines or worries by focusing on what needs doing outside with the plants. Developing a new skill alongside my degree and just getting involved with something completely random at uni, has helped with learning more about myself as a person. I have also found running the society as its president to be very fun, rewarding as I feel involved with the college and have a say in its green spaces but also just a confidence booster in general. Having this commitment has made my university experience that much richer.”

What are your hopes for Cuth’s Gardening 2025/26?

“We have high hopes for our society this year after winning Society of the Year for 24/25! Last year was spent finding our footing, so hopefully this year we will be able to do even more to try and outdo ourselves. Within the garden itself, the aim is to just successfully grow plants and keeping them well looked after. In terms of socials, there will likely be repeats of previous activities such as potato printing and movie nights as they were well received and enjoyed. However, I know our new Social Secretary, Marisa has a lot planned for this year, especially themed activities, and so I’m sure there will be a wide range of socials for everyone to get involved in. I know this year’s exec will endeavour to ensure that Cuth’s Gardening continues to run. It would be nice to see more new faces,and our priority is retaining the student-run aspect of our Wendy House Garden and its existence for future society members to enjoy.”

Image Credit: Cuth’s Gardening Society