Each year, students of the Landscape Horticulture course produce flowering plants and culinary herbs to organize the annual on-campus spring plant sale. This year, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the LDEM plant sale was truly exceptional: over 75 AUB faculty purchased more than 800 plants, which they selected from LDEM's online catalogue. The sale took place online (April 8-10), and distribution was well-planned to minimize direct human contact.
Research shows that plants and connecting to nature improve mental health and wellbeing, especially during times of lockdown. Faculty members commended the online plant sale and sent several affirmations of their delight with the event:
- “Thank you very much for keeping up this plant sale. Plants are a beautiful way to help us through these times"
- “This program is a ray of sunshine every spring, but this year it's even more special";
- “how great you are doing this, despite it all! My family is so excited. The plant sale is an annual tradition we don't like to miss".
