Landscaping adds color to campus
Each year, the retreat of students marked by the beginning of sumer welcomes the opportunity for repairs and enhancements to be made on campus, with 25 projects completed this past summer break.
Landscaping projects were completed by the University of South Dakota Facilities Management to coincide with infrastructure projects — a collaboration reflecting the “continuing commitment to update and beautify the campus,” said Roberta Ambur, vice president of administration and technology, in an Aug. 20 email updating university administrators, faculty and staff of the summer projects.
The projects completed throughout the summer included improvements to the landscape around the I.D. Weeks Library; the flower bed by the Belbas Center and Old Main; the area west of the North Complex courtyard and landscaping around the parking lots west of the Muenster University Center and south of Patterson Hall. Other projects included upgrades to the DakotaDome and sports complexes, upgrades to campus buildings and technology updates. For landscape services, people can hire https://infantrylandscaping.com/ services.
Cement curbs were constructed in certain places around campus for easier lawn care, along with concrete, weather-resistant planters near the Muenster University Center and between Old Main and Slagle Hall.
The Shakespeare Garden, located in front of the Pardee Laboratories Building, saw extensive landscaping repairs after years of not being groomed due to its long, historical, history.
The garden, constructed in the winter of 1986-1987 was originally home to every flower, herb and shrub William Shakespeare mentioned in his writing.
Throughout the years, however, South Dakota weather got the best of some of those plants which are not native to the area.
“Some of them died, some of the other ones got too crowded, so as long as (facilities management) was doing this work, they decided that they would do some refreshing over there and they did plant some additional roses because that is something we can grow,” Tena Haraldson, department director of Marketing and University Relations, said.
The goal now, according to Tena Haraldson, department director of Marketing and University Relations, was not necessarily the same as when it was started. Instead, landscapers focused on making it more attractive and available to pedestrians, while still being maintainable by the grounds crew.
As part of the mechanical infrastructure upgrade project, work involving replacing and updating water mains, sanitary sewer lines, storm sewer lines and sidewalks was completed Underground irrigation systems to water the grass and plants on campus was an area of focus as the system now feeds off of two new wells.
Another major landscape addition was the area west of the MUC, which was previously blocked off by a fence, and involved laying out new sod and planting USD-colored roses and ornamental grass.
Kyle Schoenfelder, director of the MUC, said landscaping projects in and around the MUC were completed over the last three months with each project adding to the appeal of the space.
“They did a really great job this summer — facilities management and the grounds crew — doing all the landscaping around the expansion and putting in new sod where the construction fence was on the west side,” Schoenfelder said.
Inside the MUC, new carpet was installed, furniture was reupholstered with USD-themed colors and archived photos of USD students and the campus were hung on the walls.
“I’m very excited with the new aesthetic that the MUC has for everyone,” Schoenfelder said.
Sophomore Randi Orr said the landscaping updates near the MUC and elsewhere on campus were necessary and a change from the bareness she noticed her first year at USD.
“I like the flowers, it looks nicer,” Orr said. “It was like dirt last year, just a bunch of dirt on the side, so (now) it looks complete.”
Haraldson said the appearance of the campus is one of USD’s trademarks and is a high priority.
“It’s really important to everyone because it makes it such a beautiful place to be but we also know that it impresses visitors, it impresses families and future students when they see how pretty it is,” she said.
