Look who's living in the 'Idea Garden!'

Friday, April 21, 2023

Photos provided by Carl J. Bower Jr., assistant professor of horticulture

Students in Carl J. Bower Jr.'s Sustainable Horticulture class combined a variety of elements – not the least of which was whimsy – in crafting a new inhabitant of the Schneebeli Earth Science Center.

In a shaded area of the campus' backyard, fenced off to dissuade grazing deer, dwells the Mud Man.

"I've seen several renditions of them over the years and I always thought it would be cool to make one," said Bower, who drew particular inspiration from similar creations at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, England. "Selling one to a client obviously would be a little challenging, so creating one on campus seemed to make sense."

From left are Han A. Gandarillas-Reyes, East Norriton; Brandon C. Wolfe, Albion; Ian A. Folsom, Williamsport; Sophia G. Wiest, Butler; Sonia C. Good, Linden; Elizabeth R. Bryan; Kayla A. Delp, Dover; Grace E. Maneval, Montgomery; Erin S. Carey, Lewisburg; and Kodi R. Fowler, South Williamsport. Gandarillas-Reyes is a residential construction technology & management student, and Fowler is enrolled in applied management. The rest are working toward associate degrees in landscape/plant production technology.

The project started taking shape with the wall material, a "living wall" system called Smart Slope that is able to be planted.

"We have many varieties of sedums on campus that the students were able to dig, divide and propagate – along with the sedge – for the hair," Bower explained. "It will have a green-and-white variegated hairdo, hopefully, by the end of summer." The eyes and ears are made of concrete, and students harvested moss from the woodland trails that wind through the ESC property.

"The moss is what made it," he added. "We had other ideas for the face, but when we found the moss, it just made sense. I heard one student say, 'It turned out prettier than I thought it would.' Honestly, I felt the same way, and if we didn't find the moss, it would have taken much longer to develop. Keeping it watered until it takes hold will be the biggest challenge."

Mud Man resides in an area of campus known as the Idea Garden, the primary purpose of which is to show students the boundless possibilities of what can be done to the landscape.

"Of course, the Mud Man was just fun, but it did bring together the idea of the living retaining wall; the growing of plants; and the creativity of the eyes, ears and the head itself. The art and science of growing plants is what horticulture is all about," Bower said, "and the gathering of the materials played into the sustainable element, so it fit into class perfectly."