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Cultivating Your Staff Garden
Thursday, June 7, 2012Northeastern University
Gary Bice, Jr.Director of Residence Life
SUNY Fredonia@BiceJr
Transitions
• Parallels– Buying a house is like inheriting a staff/department…
but with a 30-year mortgage payment!!– What follows are metaphors
• Disclaimer– Any resemblance to actual events or to any individual,
group or institution is purely coincidental.• Durations
– RD: 4 years*, 1 year, 2 years**inherited a staff from the same RD at two institutions!
– Director: 9 years, 2 years, 6+ years– House: 2 years, 6+ years
VisionFrom this…
Fall 2006
Vision
Spring 2012
To this…
Vision
…to the goal
From this…
Vision
1 Autumn Red Daylily 1 Blue Queen Salvia 3 Gay Butterflies Butterfly Plant 1 Variegated Weigela 1 Black-Eyed Susan 1 Dwarf Burning Bush 3 Mixed Hardy Primrose 2 Pink Mist Scabiosa 1 Forever Pink Hydrangea 3 Mixed Lungwort 3 Shades of Autumn Fantasia Mum 3 Golden Harvest Fantasia Mum 3 Cranberry Apple Fantasia Mum
Three Season Garden
Only 26 plants for about a 10’ x 12’ area.
Vision
• Can you completely overhaul everything at one time to create your finished vision?
• Of course…but...– Very expensive– Won’t necessarily be sustainable– Will burn a lot of bridges– We’re talking about people…and rules
Observe
• What type of soil do you have for a foundation?
• Is it loose, well drained, healthy?• Is it sandy, rocky, hidden stones?• Is it firm, unyielding clay?
Observe
• What comes up when?– You don’t know what’s hidden under the
surface.• Who starts off strong, then fades?• Who is in it for the long haul?• Who is willing to adapt?• Who is resistant to change?• Who are the late bloomers?
Obstacles & Decisions
WEEDS• What is a weed and what will be a nice plant?• Common types: – Plentiful, shallow roots, easy to pull, but sneaky– Deep roots, bigger presence, difficult to dislodge
• Elimination:– Chemicals or other immediately disruptive force– Patience, diligence, persistence
• Are you willing to overlook or even embrace a few?
Obstacles & Decisions
PRUNING• Really have to know the plant• Some can be cut down to the ground annually and
recover; and often come back nicer and stronger• Some you have to be intentional and only cut old
growth; others you have to remove the sucker shoots that come along and deprive nutrients
• Some can only take gentle, sparing cuts or else it dies
Obstacles & Decisions
TRANSPLANTING• Can some of the plants already in place be
moved to another location?• Which of the plants can be easily divided and
shared with other areas?• Will the new location be a place where it can
survive and thrive?• When is it time to say enough is enough and
recycle?
Obstacles & Decisions
PESTS!!• Some are beneficial & necessary: bees, lady
bugs, spiders• Some not so much: stink bugs, termites,
Japanese beetles, skunks, raccoons,
…and Bill Murray’s nemesis…
Groundhogs!• Well established territory• Consistent in their behavior• Resistant to attempts to modify or
discourage their presence• Hidden tunnels, resources & connections• Learn to co-exist or force the issue
Summary
• Determine the long term vision• Observe• Learn your soil/foundation• Take care of the weeds• Be intentional with the pruning• Know where best to transplant• Manage the groundhogs
Tips
• Food & water• Learn their cycles• Companion planting• Limited resources?
Compost!
• Ultimate in sustainability• Throw stuff into a pile and it breaks down,
mixes, matches and becomes natural fertilizer
• Professional development from within
Tips
• Food & water• Learn their cycles• Companion planting• Limited resources? Compost• Patience• Get Zen with the lawn mower…even when
things are going smoothly, it may suddenly freeze up on you
Reality
Students are like hostas…
…they come back every year even if you mow them down!
