On the week before Earth Day/Arbor Day/Sustainability Day, students from the College of Agriculture assisted the Campus Arboretum with a new garden highlighting palms and succulents.

Landscape Architecture grad students Chris Kiefer and Ken Mills designed an intriguing landscape space for the southwest side of the Gould Simpson building. This site is a challenge because of the brutal sun in summer.

Next to the building the students planted statuesque heat-loving palms, strong-formed desert agaves and yuccas, wispy native grasses, and colorful interest in all seasons. Local growers had produced many of the plants, and the Tucson Cactus & Succulent Society for donating salvaged yuccas.

Facilities Management assisted with irrigation and soil contouring. Steel elements (edges and planter boxes) from recycled/scrap steel add design flair. Undergraduate Plant Science major Chelsea Cox acted as the “landscape contractor”, arranging for delivery of plants, recruiting the UA Hort Club for assistance, and overseeing the installation.

The garden adds 3 new palm species to the campus list.

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