Landscape Contracting

Landscape Contracting Students Improve the Landscape Around Ag Administration Building

-Dan Stearns, Professor of Landscape Contracting; J. Franklin Styer Professor of Horticultural Botany

Following last year’s success with the Phase I landscape renovation of Tyson Building, Students in Hort 464 (Landscape Construction I) and Hort 368 (Planting Design) tackled Ag Admin’s landscape during Spring semester 2007. The project got its start when residents of Ag Admin saw how great Tyson looked and envisioned a similar environment around their own building.

The project included construction of a paved terrace in front of the main entrance, complete with benches and planters. A new bike parking pad was also built on the north side of the building to encourage the use of pedal power on campus. Planting included an attractive collection of trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and perennials, including red buckeyes, yews, hollies, boxwoods, and liriope. Work extended along Curtin Road to tie in with plantings at the new Creamery building. This year’s project was not without challenges. Snow and relentless rain slowed progress at times, encounters with underground utilities provided some unplanned delays, and continuous pedestrian traffic on the walkways surrounding the project made it interesting at times. The students overcame all obstacles to complete the work on time, on budget.

With renovated landscaping on both sides of Curtin Road, and with the planned improvements to Borland Lab (the old Creamery building) in progress, Ag Hill is looking fine. We hope to do more work on Phases II and III of Tyson Building next spring. Come by Tyson on your next visit to campus and see what we have accomplished!