By Thom Morgan, Springmoor landscape manager
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| Thom Morgan |
It’s a November morning, and I am standing in front of what will be the entrance to Springmoor’s new
Wellness Center. Piles of dirt, broken
concrete and construction materials surround the area. Large machines
sit parked ready for another day of work. Somehow this soon will be a finished landscape, inviting residents,
guests and employees in to use the new center. Where to start? There are no sidewalks in yet, which would indicate
where plant beds go. There will be
walkway lights, and other utilities that I must avoid covering with plants. There is a transformer box that will need to be
hidden, and access to an existing transformer will need to be provided. I make note of other utilities such as a
water faucet, which could come in handy. I know the sun will reach the area most of
the morning, and into the early afternoon in summer. The main entry of the Wellness Center is on
the southeast corner of the Valley building, so it will be well protected from
cold winds in the winter. Fortunately,
the builder provided me with a plan
that indicates where the sidewalks, parking spaces, and lights go, and where
windows and doors are located on the
building. I now know how people will
walk into and out of the building, as well as see into, and out of it. There is a large existing Willow Oak that should be saved.
This is the inventory,
and analysis phase of the design now for a concept. It was very hard to come up with a design, but I wanted to simply match the
purpose of the building--wellness--to the landscape.
All of the plants in the plan can be used, or were used, for medicinal,
herbal, or culinary purposes. The exception is a specimen Japanese maple,
and some Encore azaleas--it’s OK to
break some rules and not completely follow the concept; I can justify using the
azaleas since they tie in nicely with what we have throughout campus. The Japanese maple--when matured--will have a peaceful, sculptural shape
to it. Now it’s time to locate the
plants on the plan. I will start out with the trees first, and choose those
that meet the criteria for the wellness concept. I place the trees where they will provide
shade from the hot summer sun, and also where they will be noticed as people
walk into, and out of the building.
‘Tis the season for holiday parties, gift exchanges, and get-togethers
with family and friends. It’s all fun and festive, but makes for a very full
calendar. If full scale holiday baking
doesn’t fit into your schedule this season, then this is the recipe for
you! 
