The OSU Garden Ecology Lab was founded in 2017 to advance an understanding of how to plan, plant, and manage garden systems to promote environmental and human health. It is one of two labs in the United States, and the only one in the Western US, to specifically focus on studies of garden ecology.
The Lab hosts an average of two graduate students at a time, at a cost of about $100,000 per year (for salaries and other personnel expenses, as well as research expenses). We also host between 2-4 undergraduate students who work on their own research projects, in addition to helping out the graduate students in the Lab. Mentoring the next generation of scientists, science communicators and scientifically-literate members of society is an important component of our mission.
Work in the Garden Ecology Lab is funded by a combination of competitive grants, student scholarships and fellowships, the Department of Horticulture, Master Gardener volunteers and Master Gardener associations, as well as other gardeners.
If you would like to make a donation to support the students in the Garden Ecology Lab, you can give online by searching for the Oregon Garden Research Fund.
If you are interested in providing on-going support to students in the lab, you may want to inquire about joining the Garden Ecology League. The Garden Ecology League is a relatively small group of individuals who have made an on-going commitment to supporting garden research at Oregon State University. Garden Ecology League members:
- Receive twice-yearly updates on Garden Ecology Lab projects, and thus are among the first to know about our research findings.
- Are invited to provide advice / feedback on Garden Ecology Lab projects.
- Sustain garden research by make annual contributions to the OSU Foundation.
If you are interested in joining the Garden Ecology League, please contact Gail Langellotto for more information.
We are grateful for the support of:
- Spike Wadsworth and Sherry Sheng
- Garden Club of America for Scholarships to Aaron and Jen
- Native Plant Society of Oregon for a Field Research Grant to Aaron
- Oregon Master Gardener Association for an Extension Educator Grant
- Clackamas County Master Gardener Association for a Gray & Norrene Thompson Community Grant
- Hoeker Family Innovation Grant
- Sara Running
We thank the following companies for providing us with a discount on plants and/or seed:
- Annie’s Annuals & Perennials
- Bluestone Perennials
- Easy to Grow Bulbs
- Eden Brothers
- Linda Boyer and Heritage Seedlings for waiving minimum order fees, providing a discount on plants
- Native Foods Nursery
- Northwest Meadowscapes
- Seven Oaks Native Nursery
- Silver Falls Seed Company for discounting seed
- Willamette Gardens LLC
- Xera Plants, Inc
