hillside permaculture Garden:
The CHancellor's Personal Oasis
History
In Fall 2012, UMass's newly hired Chancellor, Kumble Subbaswamy, and his wife, Mala Subbaswamy, approached the UMass Permaculture team with an idea: to build a garden at the Chancellor's family's house on campus. The UMass Permaculture Committee had the opportunity to interview the Subbaswamys and integrate their goals with the results of a detailed site analysis to create a holistic site design. The garden was put in place in the spring of 2013 with the help of students, volunteers, and Regenerative Design Group.
The Hillside Permaculture Garden features a wealth of Southeast Asian plants requested by the Chancellor and Mala to highlight their family’s heritage and home country of India. Guests who visit the Chancellor's home, including new faculty and high-profile campus visitors, are treated to a view of this garden and a taste of the foods grown there in special meals made by UMass Catering.
The Hillside Permaculture Garden features a wealth of Southeast Asian plants requested by the Chancellor and Mala to highlight their family’s heritage and home country of India. Guests who visit the Chancellor's home, including new faculty and high-profile campus visitors, are treated to a view of this garden and a taste of the foods grown there in special meals made by UMass Catering.