ByGeorge!

November 2007

Grounds Crew Works Year Round to Keep Campus in Bloom

Grounds Crew members Troy Smith, Gregory Crawford, foreman Robert Cushman, and Michael Johnson pose among the award-winning roses in the University Yard.

By Julia Parmley

Behind a wooden bench in Kogan Plaza a yellow Echinacea plant blooms. It looks like a daisy, but one sniff reveals the fragrance of a rose. It’s just one of the many surprises GW Services Manager for Grounds Noel Gasparin and his 18-member landscaping crew have planted all over campus.

The task of beautifying the 18-block Foggy Bottom Campus begins at 6 a.m. every morning with a three-hour trash pick-up. After a short break, the crew, part of GW’s General Services Division of Facilities Management, tackles its daily duties, which include cutting grass, pruning shrubs, and watering.

Responsibilities and challenges vary by season. During the fall, the crew replaces summer plantings with spring flowering bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils, that will bloom the following spring. Between October and November, the crew is planting more than 22,000 bulbs. “The fall is our best time to plant,” says Gasparin.

One of the crew’s goals is to always have something in bloom. Gasparin says they are planting cherry and dogwood trees and witch hazel plants around the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center and Academic Center on 22nd Street that will bloom in February or March—“a sign that spring is around the corner.”

Every flower, shrub, and landscape design element on campus is carefully planned and located. Foreman Robert Cushman oversees work south of H Street, including Kogan Plaza and University Yard, while foreman Burton Moody supervises activity north of H Street at locations including the GW Medical Center. The crew also rallies to prepare the campus for major events, such as Colonials Weekend and Commencement.

Gasparin says many factors are considered during landscaping decisions, including how much sun the location gets, whether it is irrigated, and the level of activity since plantings in high-traffic areas can be trampled.

Campus construction, pedestrian traffic, and extraordinary weather can all wreak havoc on the crew’s plans. Gasparin says that when a steam line was replaced over the summer in Kogan Plaza, a large tree died and surrounding plantings were uprooted. This summer’s drought also hurt plants campus wide.

But Gasparin and Cushman say these set backs are all part of the crew’s work, adding that they have a “here today, gone tomorrow” attitude to help them address the challenges of landscaping an urban campus. “We’ve learned over the years what works and what doesn’t in landscaping,” says Cushman. “A lot of it is trial and error, to see what plants look good and where.”

And the crew’s work isn’t over when the ground freezes. It is first on the scene when snow hits. Gasparin says his crew picks ice, shovels snow and makes sure the sidewalks are clear for the community. When they aren’t shoveling snow, the crew prunes trees and shears hedges, cuts back perennials, performs inventory and maintenance on equipment, and conducts employee training. If the winter is warmer, they edge beds and prepare them for mulch.

“January and February are the two months that could be too inclement to work outside doing regular landscape maintenance,” says Gasparin. “By the time it’s Valentine’s Day, we’re thinking of spring, and with spring we’ve got to be ahead of those 22,000 bulbs we put into the ground the previous fall.”

Crew members have their particular favorites when it comes to seasons and plants. Cushman enjoys the Hinoki cypress in Mid-Campus Quad, while Moody is partial to the peonies in front of Corcoran Hall and the G Street side of Strong Hall. For Gasparin, it’s Kogan Plaza in the fall. “It’s gorgeous,” he says. “The leaves turn yellow and the Japanese maple turns red. You get clear blue skies, and nothing can beat the change in foliage.”

While the crew admits the job can get tough on 95 degree days, Gasparin says he can’t imagine doing anything else. “In our line of work, you get immediate gratification from cutting grass or planting flowers,” he says. “And it can be tough sitting in an office on a beautiful day. People always come up to me and ask if we can switch jobs.”

From GW’s Grounds to Yours: Fall Planting Tips from Grounds Manager Noel Gasparin
• Aerate and seed your lawn: “Aeration allows for greater movement of water, fertilizer, and air, which stimulates healthy turf,” says Gasparin. “Combine it with over-seeding to thicken your turf.”
• Water, water, water. “With the current drought our region is experiencing, the most important thing we can do for our landscape is to water,” says Gasparin. “Watering once a week for approximately one hour per area will get the water down into the soil where the roots are. Shallow watering will bring the plant roots to the surface and cause them to dry out faster.”
• Think spring. “Now is the time to plant spring flowering bulbs,” says Gasparin. “Tulips, daffodils, and crocus are all planted in the fall for great spring color.”

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