[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/rabicki_garden.jpg” caption=”Grounds manager Barb Rabicki stands next to the Class of ’54 Garden. Below is the Nina de Villiers Garden. Photos by Christine MacLean. “]Spring has arrived, bringing blooms and splashes of colour to McMaster's many gardens.

A busy team of gardeners and their student helpers have been hard at work preparing the campus for the upcoming months. Every year, the gardens are re-evaluated for their condition, ensuring that the plants and flowers are at their best. Then, considerable work goes into pruning the trees and shrubs, splitting perennials, planting annuals and spreading mulch.

Barb Rabicki, landscaping designer and grounds manager, says she hears many comments about the magnificence of McMaster's grounds.

“Many people come to McMaster because of the natural beauty; these comments make us want to strive to do our best,” she says. “We both work in the gardens and enjoy them.”

On a recent tour of the grounds, Rabicki pointed out some of her favourite gardens.

The Class of '54 Oasis Garden, donated in June 2004 by the Class of '54, offers an “area of quiet reflection and a perfect location for teaching,” says Rabicki.

Professors occasionally conduct small classes around the stone seats and woodland plants of this garden. Rabicki is excited by how the garden has become a site for learning, and has been utilized by both drama and art classes.

The Class of '54 Garden is located by Faculty Hollow, and runs along the beautiful ravine of Cootes Paradise. This area of campus is noted for deer sightings, with the garden itself targeted by grazing deer in winter.

The Divinity College Courtyard, located near the centre of campus, is Rabicki's personal favourite. The garden and courtyard have created an impromptu bird sanctuary.

“There is so much bird life in this garden, which sets it apart from the other locations on campus,” explains Rabicki. The courtyard is at its best in the spring when the dogwoods are in full bloom, providing a respite from the hustle and bustle of campus life.

The Gwen George Memorial Garden, the central garden on campus located in front of the Burke Science Building, is a focal point for all seasons.

This spring, you may have noticed pink tulips blooming around its edges. These flowers were planted last fall as part of Avon Canada's Breast Cancer Crusade. Since the Gwen George Memorial Garden welcomes people to campus from the Sterling Street entrance, the gardeners ensure that it is spectacular all year round.

“In the fall, there is a variety of rich colours,” says Rabicki. “In winter, ice sparkles off the ornamental grass. In the spring, bulb flowers bloom, and in the summer, it is filled with a vast array of colourful annuals.”

If you travel to the edge of campus, there is a garden located behind the Institute for Applied Health Sciences. The plants located here have their roots in medicinal usage, and were once widely used.

The courtyard is often used for group gatherings with the newly planted elm trees offering protection from the sun as they mature. Notably, this type of elm tree is highly resistant to Dutch elm disease. Rabicki is hoping to reintroduce an elm population to McMaster. This initiative benefits the elm tree population and helps diversify the plant life on campus.

The newest addition to McMaster's gardens is located in front of the newly renovated Health Sciences library. This garden offers a wide variety of plant life throughout the year, as well as a seating wall for students and staff to congregate.

When this garden was designed, a lot of consideration was given to both the view of the garden from the outside and from the inside of the library. Now when studying, students have a pleasant view to appreciate.

Returning to the centre of campus, we reach the Nina de Villiers Garden. Located in front of University Hall, it emits a beautiful scent from the many rose bushes planted within its iron fence. It is a popular location to sit and have lunch or for quiet reflection.

In June, the garden blooms spectacularly, with a second burst of blooms in September. Last summer, a notorious young raccoon lived in one of the mature trees, in the garden, causing many walkers to stop and take pictures. Perhaps he will return this spring.