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Stopping to smell the roses

By Annie Vangsnes

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The University’s campus has often been viewed as one of the most beautiful in the nation. Students pass by landscaping everyday, but what they might not see is the behind-the-scenes work of the individuals in Facilities Operations who transform the campus into what it is. Here’s a look at what goes on:

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Kelley Stroda

Behind the Scenes

The University’s campus stretches 1,000 acres and has about 10 large flower beds and hundreds of shrub beds. Keeping campus beautiful takes 32 full-time employees and a $1.36 million budget within Facilities Operations.

Wayne Reusch, skilled trade supervisor, said employees worked every day from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. planting and maintaining landscaping around campus. He said they mowed, planted and maintained flowers, trees and shrubs, collected trash, cleaned up after events such as football games, removed snow in the winter, and even handled animal control.

But the planning process begins long before these employees actually start planting flowers or mowing. According to the landscape master plan, a report about landscaping on campus, landscapers are responsible for upkeep for 685 acres of turf and 85 acres of flowers.

The first step in the process is choosing the flowers. Mike Lang, campus landscape manager said he and landscape architects chose flowers for the different areas of campus. Marion Paulette, landscape architect, said there was a lot that went into choosing the plants.

“It depends on the location, function of the space, how much maintenance is required, and how much sunlight there is,” Paulette said.

Paulette said the landscape architects also designed new planting areas.

After an area is designed and the plants are chosen for a project, Lang said the Carruth- O’Leary pursing department sends out a bid to vendors around the state. Whichever vendor has the lowest price will provide the plants. The bid is sent out in December and it usually takes three to four weeks for the bid to be awarded, Lang said. Lang said that for the last five years, the University has used Neosho Gardens, a company in Council Grove that raises and sells plants.

Lang said the flowers from the bid arrived on campus May 1 every year so the landscaping crews can plant, water and fertilize them.

According to the landscape master plan, landscaping plays an important part in acquiring and retaining new students, athletes, faculty, staff and administrators.

Chris Paradies, Lawrence junior and orientation assistant, said it was important for the campus to look good because it said something good about the University.

“It shouldn’t be the top priority,” Paradies said. “But it helps with recruitment, which helps with everything.”

Special projects

Paulette said a recent landscaping design project was the Mississippi terrace, west of Lippincott Hall. An alumnus wanted trees and shrubs to be replanted after construction left it bare, Paulette said.

Rosita McCoy, vice president of communications for the Kansas University Endowment Association, said the donor donated $10,000 for the landscaping.

“People donate to memorialize someone or because they have fun memories from the campus and want it to stay beautiful,” McCoy said.

Money donated to landscaping goes through the endowment association. After the work is done, landscape architects notify the endowment association when they get the bills and the association transfers the money to pay for it.

Campus buildings can also request landscaping by writing a letter and meeting with the landscape architects. Paulette said she was currently working with Nunemaker Hall on a project to landscape around the building.

The landscape architects draw up conceptual plans and budget estimates and meet with whoever requested the work. She said the campus building was in charge of securing funds from its budget to pay for the landscaping.

Budget

Lang said the department spent about $9,000 every year on summer annual plants such as petunias, impatiens and begonias. The landscapers plant the flowers in areas such as around the Chi Omega fountain and in front of Strong Hall.

Lang said they spent another $3,000 for the tulip bulbs that would be planted this fall and would bloom next spring.

After a preliminary 4 percent budget cut for landscaping last spring, Lang said, the department decided not to plant mums, which saved $3,000. He said the department also tried to save money by buying smaller, less mature plants, which are usually less expensive.

Rose bushes were also chosen for several flower beds around campus because they need less maintenance, which means fewer man hours. Reusch said they planted rose bushes at the Vietnam Memorial, at the west end of Memorial Drive and at several other locations.

Steve Green, associate director of Facilities Operations, said landscaping also cut one full-time position, which saved them $23,000.

Reusch said it took longer to do certain jobs with one less person working, but everyone around the University was cutting back — not just landscaping.

“If we can save some money on landscape, maybe we can do some street repairs that we don’t have funding for,” Lang said.

— — Edited by Jason Baker

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