Student Landscape Design and Interpretive Projects Installed on USU Campus

Utah State University College of Agriculture and College of Natural Resources students present three new gardens and companion interpretive panels on the USU campus Sept. 22 at 11 a.m.

 

All are invited to attend the unveiling of the garden project at the southwest corner of the Biology-Natural Resources building. The gardens were completely designed and created by USU horticulture students in the Low Water Use Landscaping classes. Students from Barbara Middleton’s Natural Resources Interpretation classes teamed up to create interpretive wayside panels for each garden.

 

“We partnered our classes to create panels that capture the public’s attention, share ideas, engage them and help people think about the role of native plants in ornamental horticulture,” Middleton said. “It’s a way to help the public explore different garden designs while incorporating conscious, water-wise choices.”

 

The gardens are located next to the Biology-Natural Resources building, Agricultural Sciences building and the Science Engineering Research/Library walkway.

 

“The entire project is student based — the garden designs, the plant studies, the panel designs, the research — everything,” Middleton said. “Developing each panel’s interpretive theme is a difficult part. It involves taking the horticulture student’s vision and researching, writing and illustrating the panel to express this theme. The process is both frustrating and rewarding. However, when the students have that ‘aha! moment’ and realize, ‘Yes, this will work!,’ and they see their hard work paying off, that is my favorite part.”

 

The panels illustrate three thematic gardens, including the pollinator garden, ideas for gardening with native plants and a historical uses of Utah plants garden.

 

“The panels aren’t just for plant identification, they share creative garden possibilities,” Middleton said. “They are not intended to be read all at once. Instead, people can pick and choose what interests them and come back again and again to get more ideas and see the garden plant life continuously changing.”

 

For more information and for assistance with creating a native, water-wise garden, go to the garden Web site.

 

Writer: Jodi Burton, Jodi.burton@aggiemail.usu.edu

Contacts:

Heidi Kratsch, 435-797-8124, heidi.kratsch@usu.edu

Barbara Middleton, 435-797-5829, Middleton.bam@gmail.com

Annalisa Purser, 435-797-1429, annalisa.purser@usu.edu (PR & Marketing Office)