[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/rabicki_barb.jpg” caption=”Barb Rabicki examines Rudbeckia plants in one of the main flowerbeds in the centre of campus. Photo credit: Chantall Van Raay”]While the weather will soon turn to cooler days and nights, the landscaping and garden beds on campus tell a different story.

Tall Rudbeckia plants stand erect, ornamental grasses sway in the breeze and Cleome spider flowers contrast brilliantly against bright yellow Marigolds.

This is the season when most of McMaster's flowerbeds are at their best.

“Much of our design material was planted to come out in full bloom in the fall, when students are back,” says Barb Rabicki, landscape designer and grounds manager for McMaster. “While the gardens bloom through all four seasons, we try to focus on spring and fall because that is when the majority of people are on campus.”

Throughout the year, McMaster's Grounds staff ensures all focal areas of McMaster's campus are landscaped. “We maintain 300 acres of grounds – including sizeable beds in central areas and gateways, residence areas, and new plantings such as at Business AIC wing and the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery. We also landscaped every new building sign, overhauled the Institute of Applied Health Sciences landscape, created front entrance plantings and did extensive tree pruning.”

During the summer, students are hired to help assist with maintaining the grounds. Student crews begin in May and assist until Labour Day. After that, Grounds staff continue the busy seasonal cycle as grass growth speeds up in fall, litter control is enormous, and weeding, pruning and preparing garden beds for winter takes priority.

Rabicki, who has worked at McMaster for a year and a half, is happy with the changes that have taken place on McMaster's grounds. “I'm pleased with the changes. Daily, our staff gets positive feedback from the campus community. That's what kept us going through the heat wave this summer. But creating a beautiful landscape can be extremely difficult when you have Mother Nature working against you, like happened this year. Much of our time was spent watering.”

Not all appreciate the gardens, she admits. “It is important that people respect our landscape which our staff works so hard to create. The Sterling Street garden is particularly problematic,” she says. “We have had some vandals who ripped apart the flowers and strewn them all over. We're hoping people will appreciate our gateways to the university. This is the first impression people have of the university so we want it to be a good one.”

Although fall tends to be the pinnacle of the landscape season at McMaster, the beds are all-season, says Rabicki. A lot of grasses have been planted, most of which last through the winter. “Grasses add movement to a garden,” she says, “and in the winter, they look spectacular when they're covered with ice.”

More grasses have been planted this year, as well as a more abundant variety. “We're building an inventory of glasses to split and move to different areas of campus to allow us to expand our plant material.” She adds grasses are also an important food source that benefits insects, butterflies and birds.

Other plants include tall Rudbeckia, a plant similar to Black-Eyed Susans. These perennials, which this year stands at nearly six feet tall, add height and impact to a garden. When combined with shorter plants such as Marigolds, layers of vibrant colour and texture come alive, says Rabicki. “We always keep in mind what a visitor's first impression will be when they enter campus and so we are conscious about what our beds look like from campus gateways. First impressions are critical.”

The landscape theme changes every year on campus. “McMaster used to be more conventional, with a heavy emphasis on annuals, but now we're evolving into more unusual plantings, searching for new varieties to try,” she says. Every year Grounds staff plants a new colour scheme. This year, high impact colours were used – bright yellow, purple, burgundy and deep pink. Last year, there were more primary colours used on campus. During winter staff plans the colour scheme and designs, says Rabicki, adding next year's colour scheme is yet undecided. “We use colour to maximize the impact of landscaping so that people can see it from a distance. We enjoy experimenting with different plants and combinations so people can look forward to a different landscape every year.”

Soon, McMaster gardens will go through a seasonal transition, as tender annuals are pulled after the full fall frost. But the colder weather will bring a new spectacular look to the gardens, as snow and ice encrusts the grasses that will continue to sway in the icy winter winds.