College of DuPage helps with spring cleanup at Wheaton's Hurley Gardens

Horticulture students, faculty and staff from the College of DuPage recently lent a helping hand to the Wheaton Park District through a community service project at Hurley Gardens, a European-style garden park.

Providing a hands-on learning opportunity for horticulture students, the day included a variety of activities, including edging, mulching, pruning, laying sod and hardscape repair.

The Hurley Gardens is located in the Adare Farm subdivision on Creekside Drive. The area was once part of the 160-acre estate of Edward Hurley, who started the Independent Pneumatic Tool Company in 1893 with his brother and two others in Aurora, developing the "Thor" pneumatic drill and other tools, and later starting the Hurley Electric Laundry Equipment Co., which was one of the first mass-marketed electric washing machines. He later served as president of the First National Bank of Wheaton and was one of first commissioners and board chairmen of the Federal Trade Commission. The two-acre garden was donated to the Wheaton Park District in the 1980s when the subdivision was developed.

To view more photos from the community service project, go to the College of DuPage Newsroom page on Flickr.com.

To learn more about the College of DuPage horticulture program, visit cod.edu/programs/horticulture/.

The College of DuPage offers Associate in Applied Science degrees in horticulture; landscape contracting and management; and sustainable urban agriculture as well as nine specialized certificates. Approximately 50 classes comprise our core curriculum with additional courses developed as needed covering special topics of interest.

Students can take courses at night, during the weekdays, or in a hybrid or online format. Classes are offered on the campus at 425 Fawell Blvd. in Glen Ellyn.