Division of Finance and Administration
Week of October 7 - The Changing Colors of the Campus
Debbie Ingram, greenhouse team member,
plants flowers in front of the Alumni House.
October marks the beginning of fall, the season which everything changes. The weather cools down. The crisp leaves turn from granny-apple green to warm hues of rust-red. And - new colorful fall flowers replace the flowers of the spring. This time of year Bobby Flowers, horticulturist, and the greenhouse team of Landscape and Grounds plant fresh blooms.
Bobby Flowers grew up around nature. In high school, he participated in clubs such as the Future Farmers of America and 4-H.
"I always liked plants," Flowers said. "I've had other jobs, but I always came back to horticulture."
Flowers and the greenhouse team, which consists of Todd Howard, Debbie Ingram, Bert Rodriguez, and Charles Steward, maintain 75 flowerbeds on campus.
"We are the greenhouse team," Flowers said. "I'm just a part, and without them I couldn't get anything done."
The greenhouse team plants 3,000 to 7,000 seedlings each season, or roughly around 25,000 seedlings a year. The team nurtures the seedlings at the North Campus Greenhouse by placing them in 2 1/4 inch pots that allow deep root systems to develop. Then, the team moves the seedlings outside to acclimate with the weather. All the while, the team waters, fertilizes, and germinates the seedlings. Finally, the seedlings become blooming flowers and the team plants them around campus.
"Some beds take all day to plant," said Todd Howard. "Like the one on the corner of Georgia."
With the season change, the team rushes to quickly plant the new fall flowers: pansies, snaps, petunias, and daffodils.
"Our department is the frontline when potential new students and their parents visit," Flowers said. "When they see the pretty color and brightness, it sets a mood and they feel welcomed.
"Even people from around the state notice the cheerful colors of the campus. In 2004, the Georgia Green Industry Association gave the Grounds and Landscape Department an honorable mention. Flowers said that even garden centers around Valdosta call him to see what types of plants he and his team expect to plant in the next season.
But the motivation of Flowers and the team comes from students.
"Students stop to tell us how pretty the campus looks, "Flowers said. "We do what we do because we love it."
When the fall season ends, the team will pull up the flowers and plant again anew. Just like the seasons, the team's work never ends.
Feature article and picture by Heather Harris,
Communication Arts student