"The garden has already become a focal point for the UCFV community and the community at large," says Chilliwack campus manager Brad Whittaker, who heads up the Shakespeare Garden committee.

"The Shakespeare Garden is not only a haven for students and others to enjoy, but it provides historical and literary education. It also provides a great opportunity for our horticulture students to expand their knowledge of history and gardens, and to apply their skills in new ways."

"The Shakespeare Garden is a great project for our students," says UCFV horticulture instructor Nancy Moore, who works with the students on the project. "It's the first time our students have taken on a historical project. We're all very happy with the results and the students are looking forward to keeping the project going."

The criteria for the Chilliwack garden are very specific. It must reflect middle class standards, values, and tastes from the 1600s. The gardens of that period provided beauty and aesthetic value, havens for meditation and reflection, and vegetation and herbs for the kitchen, flowers for interior decoration, and medicine for the sick.

UCFV agriculture students Alton Baldwin, Wendy Dubeau, Andrea Hippsley, and Susan Smith submitted the winning design for phase two.

The plants in phase two have a more medicinal focus while still harmonizing with the existing plants in phase one.

Joanna Hirnschall of the Health Sciences department acted as advisor to the horticulture students working on the designs for phase two.

"The students did all the historical research but I shared my knowledge of horticulture therapy with them and made my books on the medicinal use of plants available as a resource," says Hirnschall. "I also worked with them to make sure the garden is wheelchair accessible and the raised beds are at the appropriate heights for optimum access by people in wheelchairs."

As part of the design process, the students took a walker and a wheelchair into the garden to get first- hand experience from a disabled person's perspective.

"The students are so enthusiastic about the project. It's wonderful to be part of that," says Hirnschall.

The garden will be used as a visual teaching aid for English and Shakespeare lore, history, herbal medicine, and more, and is also available year round for the entire community to enjoy.

"I'm so proud of this," says Susan Smith, one of the student designers. "It's really a thrill to know that this will always be here and we are part of it."

Planning for phase three is already underway with a new crop of students working on designs.

"The UCFV Agriculture department has again committed funds to help implement the next phase of what we hope will be a large garden project in years to come," says Whittaker. "We need to raise another $2,000 this year which may again qualify us for a matching government grant."

Donations can be dropped off at the UCFV Theatre box office or sent to the Community Relations and Development office at the Abbotsford campus. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20 or more.

The garden project is a partnership between the UCFV Theatre, English, Agriculture, Health Sciences, Community Relations, Administration, and Groundskeeping departments, the Chilliwack campus manager's office, and the Friends of the Theatre.