Blooming with the Garden Masters in Redwood High School’s Garden Club 

By: Donya Hassanshahi

Four friends come together to “grow” Redwood culture through Garden Club.

Imagine the sun-basking down onto your face. The glowing aurora reflects onto the puddle of water. As water drips from the hose, the residue unites with the dirt; mud takes the place of the once-to-be-watery out-pour. 

The realization that you are nurturing a living organism hits you as a sweat-bead forms at the top of your head. You are creating and constructing an environment where a lively source can thrive. The tireless effort instilled in sustaining a living thing is immense. 

Leaves crinkle, seasons change, and gardening remains the same. The Redwood High School Garden Club defies all “what-ifs,” and simply gives students the opportunity to positively impact their community. 

So how did the Garden Club come to be on campus? A group of four friends decided to reignite the club alongside Biology and Chemistry teacher, Mr. Rojas. 

President Vanessa Garcia, ‘25 shares her motivations for the club as she and her friends look to inspire fellow students. 

She says, “I’ve always wanted to start a club—do something, take my time to learn new things. I’ve always been interested in making a garden either way, I like gardening myself, so I wanted to incorporate that and put this into the school campus, too.”

When gardening, Garcia says she feels “…relieved. I can continue doing it for hours and hours and not feel stressed.”

Having the support of friends when overcoming challenges or starting a new chapter in your life eases the process incredibly. 

“I like that I have them with me—that I’m able to have them close-by and I can get their ideas, too, because I know they’re all smart enough and they have all these amazing ideas. I’m looking forward to seeing all these ideas that come through them, and I love that support that they give me as friends.”

Vanessa Garcia, ’25

As more activities are held, future meetings may be designated for solidifying a connection as friends within the club. “Garden club is going to make sure you get involved. It’s really fun [and] we have a lot of stuff going on. We are looking forward to seeing more people,” says Garcia. 

Vice President Sara Marmolejo, ‘25 was eager to follow the footsteps of her friend and fellow club officer, Garcia. 

Marmolejo defines gardening as “…caring for the environment,” saying how nowadays people are consumed by their technology so much so that they pollute the Earth unconsciously. 

The Garden Club has one main objective: to revamp the Earth little by little—starting right here in the Redwood community. She says she and her friends “…wanted to start a club and we saw that not a lot people are taking care of the environment, like you see trash everywhere, so we were like ‘ok we need to find a club that can bring the Earth back to life and still educate people on plants and gardening.’” 

The sensation that gardening brings Marmolejo is joyous. She addresses the feeling as “…happy and is rewarding. You plant a plant and you see this little seed and it grows into this big plant. Knowing that you created that yourself is very rewarding.”

Treasurer Brianna Gutierrez, ‘25 resonates with those seeking an outlet to connect with oneself. “I think I always found gardening very therapeutic. I feel like you bring yourself with the Earth and connect your thoughts [when gardening],” she says. 

“I was diagnosed with anxiety when I was six years old, and I always thought planting flowers would bring me peace. Whenever I feel nervous, I always just look out at plants and I think about how beautiful the Earth is, so it makes me feel better about the place we live in—how we can always make the Earth a better place by taking care of it.”  

Brianna Gutierrez, ’25

Her ambitions for the club pertain to upcoming events, activities for students, and fulfilling their goal. 

Do you have to have experience in gardening before becoming a member? Not at all! Secretary Sophia LaPlant, ‘25 was not familiar with the gardening realm prior to becoming an officer. She says, “I think that as the club continues to grow and I continue to learn more about [gardening], I think I’ll really come to enjoy it.”

Spreading an “eco-conscious mindset” leaves LaPlant enthusiastic and grateful for the chance to benefit the campus. “I feel like it’s a really enriching experience. It’s really nice to be able to interact with my community at a school just to meet people I’ve never seen before. I didn’t know a lot of people at the meeting and it was really nice to meet people like that. I think it’s fun to do something like this with other people and grow with other people,” she says.

LaPlant’s interest lies in planting flowers and decorating the plant beds in effort to “beautify the campus” through other artistic forums. 

The amazing turn-out at their first meeting prompted the love from their members, also known as the Garden Masters. 

Who are some of the Garden Masters, you may ask? Mia Gonzalez, ‘26 and Sam Ayala, ‘26 are among the many students involved.

For her first impression of the club, Gonzalez says she “…thought it was going to be fun growing and making plants.”

Considering there are numerous clubs located on the Redwood campus, she says she was drawn by “…their sign in the front” and the chance to interact with people who also had an interest in “growing fruits and vegetables”.

Similar to her classmate, Ayala says attending the first meeting was “…really nice. It was a space where people could go and actually enjoy their hobbies.” 

Though her excitement, this isn’t Ayala’s first involvement with gardening. As a matter of fact, she says she looks forward to “…building the flower beds and planting because I used to plant a lot at home with my dad.” 

For her, she says gardening invokes the sensation of feeling “…really at home. It’s just very therapeutic and gets my mind off of a lot of stuff.”

Meetings are planned to be held every two weeks. To reach out to the officer team or learn more about the club, you can reach them @rhs_gardenmasters on Instagram or join the Remind @g8agdf. 

As their plants bloom, so will the individuals involved. While conducting these interviews and formulating this story, I am convinced that the Garden Masters will positively impact the campus further with their aspirations to rejuvenate the Earth and encompass what it truly means to connect with nature. 

Tags: club spotlight, clubs & lifestyles, Donya Hassanshahi, features, garden club, gardening, rangers, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, visalia ca