Today@Dal

The grey skies couldn’t dampen the spirits of this year’s Boots ‘n’ Blooms, held June 19 on the Studley Quad. Armed with a multitude of colorful gardening gloves and a great deal of high spirits, about 50 participants helped to add some beauty to the campus.

Facilities’ Grounds crew set up teams with various work stations around the Quad. The teams weeded and cleaned up several flower beds, filled planters with annuals and planted several hanging baskets for the University Club.

Gardening experts, Niki Jabbour and Sherry Chaisson, were on also on hand. Niki is a Dal alum, gardening blogger and best-selling author of several books on vegetable gardening. Sherry is a Horticulture Professor from the Agricultural Campus and one of the developers of the Master Gardener program.

The experts awarded the Best Boots trophy to team “DRS Down ‘n’ Dirty” for the second year in a row. The undisputed champions, from the Research Services office, could be easily recognized with their playful hats transformed into bugs and accessorized boots. Honourable mention went to “Team Space Planning” for their uniquely decorated boots.

This is the second year that Boots ‘n’ Blooms was held at the Studley Campus. The event, coordinated by Human Resources and Facilities Management, aimed to get employees out from behind their desks while contributing to the beauty of Dalhousie’s green spaces.

L-R: From the Best Boots DRS team: Funke Salami, Donna Gaudet, Coleen Branscombe, Elliott Gish, Chris Wirz, Shelley Brown.

(Look for a photo essay combining highlights from both the Halifax and Truro Boots 'n' Blooms — which took place Thursday on the Ag Campus — next week on Dal News.)