Campus is often bustling with students and faculty rushing between buildings over the course of packed semesters; however, tucked away in a corner of Texas A&M’s grounds, a quieter kind of growth unfolds on seven acres of sun-kissed land. Passing through The Gardens at A&M, also known as the Leach Teaching Gardens, one can hear a range of sounds: Shovels plowing through soil and laughter echoing between beds as bees fly past hardworking students and Bryan-College Station residents kneeling among flowery paths.
The Gardens brings together students and locals as they immerse themselves in planting, volunteering and learning alongside one another. Participating in youth programs such as “Little Sprouts,” workshops or simply spending afternoons in the sun offers a more rooted connection, according to community members and students alike.
For The Gardens Education and Outreach Coordinator Kathryn Grier, this space was implemented to serve as more than just a botanical display.
“It was intentional … keeping it open to not just the A&M community, but also the greater Bryan-College Station community,” Grier said. “[The Gardens is] serving as kind of inspiration for folks that they can take back to their own homes.”
Gardens Manager Joseph Johnson echoed this notion.
“We designed The Gardens to be an outdoor classroom and a peaceful haven,” Johnson said. “It’s open to everyone, and we want students to have a space where they can relax, learn and just enjoy being in nature.”
The organization’s inclusivity extends beyond who is welcomed as a gardener, however, offering more than just hands-on fieldwork as opportunities for learning and growth.
“Service learning is a big piece for us when it comes to volunteering,” Grier said. “So every volunteer project we have, whether that’s pulling weeds or planting or doing some seeding in the greenhouse, we always try to incorporate some sort of educational component, too.”
Since he started interning at The Gardens, horticulture senior Bobby Tyler said he has spent his time digging, planting and exploring life.
“I’ve been interning here since October, and I mean, I can’t speak enough about that impact,” Tyler said. “I just feel like I literally go touch grass and it really does have an effect on you. It’s a very soothing experience.”
Several days a week, Tyler helps plant flowers, seasonal shrubs and other types of vegetation, sprinkling color onto the grounds. Occasionally, some visitors will pause to thank the interns for their efforts, and Tyler said finds it gratifying to know that his work contributes to a space he himself has enjoyed during his own time as a student.
Tyler even mentioned one moment when a young
Horitculture student Analla Smith plants a vegetable at The Gardens on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Edoardo Vannini/The Battalion)
lady approached him to express her gratitude and share that, though she had never been a garden person, she now found herself spending more and more time at The Gardens.
“To me, the cool part about it is the effect that a space like this has on others … because a plant nerd is a plant nerd … he’s going to love it no matter what,” Tyler said. “But to be able to show someone else how to develop an appreciation of a space like this has been very gratifying.”
The Gardens also includes heritage sections with displays of plants and garden designs representing different cultures. Horticulture senior and The Gardens intern Yesenia Villalon said she felt that this addition made the space feel even more welcoming and familiar because she grew up gardening back home.
“What I like about the gardens here is that they do have plants from like other sections in the world, like I know the Mexican [section],” Villalon said. “ … I know those plants from Mexico, and it was really cool to see.”
Beyond acquiring professional horticulture skills, Villalon said she also gets to enjoy the outdoors and meet other garden lovers.
“Oh yeah, three hours out here, enjoying the sun and just talking to people as you’re planting is amazing,” Villalon said. “[Also] sometimes even working in silence, because you’re just listening to your music, and you’re just enjoying the environment around you.”
According to Tyler and Villalon, throughout their time at The Gardens, the student interns have begun to notice a shift in their mindset, discovering a deeper sense of calm and peace and a blossoming connection with the natural world.
“[There was a] general decrease in anxiety and like a general sense of calm,” Tyler said. “Every time I leave a shift, I just feel like a weight is lifted. I feel like I’ve gotten something done.”
Horticulture sophomore Ava Hicks said she too has found meaning during her time working at The Gardens, her favorite part being getting her hands dirty and working on physical tasks. Hicks works with mentors who show her new tasks step by step, helping her develop skills for the future.
“Since I have autism and ADHD, Mr. Johnson shows me a task that I’ve never done before first before I do it,” Hicks said. “I used to have low confidence, but now I feel like I’m getting more confident.”
The Gardens allows students like Tyler, Villalon and Hicks the ability to find moments in their busy schedules to just enjoy the outdoors and be a part of something they consider meaningful for A&M’s campus and student body alike.
“It’s fun to de-stress, guys,” Villalon said. “Even [for] like, 30 minutes a day, just come out here, enjoy the sun, enjoy the fresh air, the fresh soil that’s being dug up and just take a little walk.”
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