Landscaping is pretty non-controversial, for the most part. After all, we’re out there, in all weather, making things better. Healthier trees, mown grass, clean and safe walkways, to name just a couple of things we do. In fact, I dare say, we’re only unpopular one time of the year, and we’re right in the middle of it now. Leaf Blower season. (more…)

The Black Willow that fell over by Battell has been written about in Middlebury Magazine. It’s a great article for a lost friend. For pictures of the tree, as well as the first time I wrote about it, check out Art Around Campus. The article that was quoted was My Brief Career as an Art Critic. Then, to end the saga, the replacement tree is written about in Mobile Trees. Enjoy!

Around the end of the term, our department starts seeing all sorts of outdoor art appear out of nowhere. It generally seems to involve trees, with varying degrees of consternation on our part. (yeah, I worry too much) Truthfully, most of the art is very respectful of the trees, and the environment, and disappears as quickly as it is born.

Once in a while, though, a particular piece jumps out. I don’t know the artist, the class, or the professor, but hats off to this piece. Next to one of our favorite trees, a massive Black Willow disintegrating before our very eyes, this piece (don’t even know the name) has captured, I think, the spirit of the surrondings perfectly. I’m no critic, and the only art classes I’ve had are in landscape design, but I know what I like. And, to whoever made this piece, well, I’ll quote my grandfather when I’d graduated high school. “You done good”.

Any good gardener knows this is the best time of year for working. It’s cold, only about 50 degrees, the wind is strong, and the ground is wet and very cold, but who cares? 50 feels a lot warmer in the spring than it does in the fall. And besides, this is the finest weeding of the year. (more…)

There is now a weather station for Middlebury College, thanks to the Environmental Council. We are using it down here in the landscape department for Insect Pest Management, as well as for snow removal. We currently stream the data to the Weather Underground here-there is also a couple of desktop widgits on that page to add to a desktop or webpage if so desired.

More on it later, as well as hopefully it’s own website somewhere.