Unpredictable weather presents a challenge for groundskeeping professionals at Northwestern and in Evanston.
“I have to watch The Weather Channel constantly,” said Tim Spahn, NU’s groundskeeper foreman. “When I retire I will never watch The Weather Channel again.”
During Winter Quarter, Spahn and his team work on pruning trees and shrubs. They cannot focus on spring projects until the ground thaws, Spahn said.
Regardless of the weather, Spahn said the goal is to have all projects completed by June 1.
“Commencement is a benchmark for us,” he said. “We want everything to look as good as possible by graduation.”
Once the ground thaws, Spahn and his team are responsible for tasks including cutting the ornamental grasses and preparing the flowerbeds, which are designed by NU Landscape Architect Ann Ziegelmaier.
Ziegelmaier, who designed The Arch in 1993, has worked at NU for 25 years, she said. In the last 10 years, she said she has noticed a change in the way people think about landscaping.
“People are realizing that landscape is not wallpaper,” she said. “It’s alive, and they need to take care of it.”
Hundreds of varieties of flowers are planted each spring, including Black-Eyed Susans, coleus and petunias, which are planted every year because “they are easy growers that provide good color,” Ziegelmaier said. She also introduces new plants in her designs, usually first experimenting with them in her garden at home to test their durability, she said.
To promote a sustainable landscape, as many perennials as possible are included in the designs since they do not need to be replanted each year, Ziegelmaier said.
“It’s sort of a Catch-22 though because everyone likes flowers to be in bloom all the time, but perennials have a shorter flowering time,” she said.
For the City of Evanston, Doug Gaynor said he is waiting for consistent temperatures and the ground to thaw.
The director of the Parks/Forestry and Recreation Department and his team of 20 will spend six to eight weeks cleaning up the parks. The process includes turning on the utilities in park buildings, returning benches and garbage bins and evaluating the play equipment and tennis courts.
“As soon as the weather turns, people really come outside,” Gaynor said. “We want to be ready.”[email protected]
