By JoLayne Green
Contributing writer

Mother Nature can put on spectacular displays all on her own, but others take human help. Behrend’s hardworking grounds crew plant and tend to a whole bunch of flower beds that bring bursts of color to Behrend’s beautiful campus each year.

About this time of year, Keven Engle, grounds and landscape supervisor, and members of Behrend’s landscaping crew work on cultivating areas for annual flower beds that will brighten campus from mid-to-late May until mid-October – or however long Mother Nature will allow. Annual flowers were introduced to campus in about 2017, Engle said.

The planning process for summer color begins in mid-to-late winter — well before signs of spring emerge — when Engle chooses the plants, flowers and locations. He concentrates on key areas on campus that get the most traffic volume.

“Every place would look nicer with flowers, but we focus on a few for financial and labor reasons,” Engle said.

Selecting areas with water close by, or that the water truck can get to easily, also is key. The crew amends the soil as much as possible and adds moisture to help keep the water molecules in the soil longer for the plantings to take root.

“It’s hard to have flops with flowers, but I would say some plantings were less successful because of site conditions,” Engle said. For example, an area near Aquarius Drive would not allow flowers to thrive, and beds have been lost to disease before.

Once locations are chosen, Engle and the staff determine which plants will do best in each space and compile an order from local nurseries. Last year, they ordered fifty-two hanging baskets and 147 flats of flowers.

Hardy annuals with a variety of colors that don’t require a lot of attention are the goal. Reliable picks are begonias, petunias, pansies, marigolds and potato vines.

Of course, Penn State blue and white selections might be ideal, but that can be tricky because there are no truly blue flowers, only purple ones that can appear blue to different people, Engle said. Sky blue and purple petunias get the job done, though.

Throughout the season, the crew tills and adds compost, fertilizer and soil additives to the beds. The plantings require a lot of water at the start of the season and during the heat of summer when they often need daily watering.

It is worthwhile work.

“We enjoy planting and having the annuals on campus. They add a much-needed splash of color to the grounds,” Engle said.

NATURE OF BEHREND is an ongoing series highlighting Behrend’s unique environment, beautiful campus, and outdoor learning opportunities.

Do you have question about something you’ve seen outdoors— trees, plants, animals, insects, paths, artifacts, etc.? Email hjc13@psu.edu and we may cover it in a “Nature of Behrend” post, story, or video.