We are currently making efforts to improve the campus landscaping and to repair damaged trees and plantings left by Hurricane Ike. Beautification measures include removal and replacement of leaning and damaged trees, replacement and improvements to landscape plantings and repair/replacement of irrigation systems to support those plantings. The project will be paid for with Ike damage insurance funds. The removal of plantings and irrigation will start in June. There will be a few bare spots around campus as planting will be delayed until fall, beginning in September, conducive with good horticulture practices. Improvements will be throughout the campus with special considerations given to the central quad area, the east perimeter along Spur 5, and University Drive. The project drawings were prepared by Clark Condon Associates, Inc. - a local landscape architectural design firm, in business since 1985, specializing in public, institutional and commercial projects.
The concept for the Ike Repair planting is to have organized bed areas with simple planting masses. Rather than having mixed, ‘garden' plantings, the design concept is to be a more large, scale campus effect. The plants selected for the UH Ike Repair project are plants hardy and well-adapted to the Houston area, duplicating some of the plants on the campus that are most successful to help unify the overall landscape style. These plants include dramatic plantings of red roses along the University Drive entry median and along the median at Entrance 14. Other plants include such species as Asian jasmine, bicolor iris, dwarf holly, giant Liriope, azaleas, daylily, lantana, society garlic and Indian hawthorn. Tree plantings include live oak, water, oak, red oak, crepemyrtle, pine and elm.
Landscape Art has been hired to provide landscape planting installation and irrigation work. They have been in business in Houston more than 25 years and have a respected reputation as a commercial landscape contractor.
Concurrent with this project, an additional contract has been let to move the existing oak trees from Scott Street prior to METRO improvements. Forty five trees will be saved and relocated to areas throughout the campus. Environmental Design will handle their relocation. They have been in business nearly 30 years and are known throughout the US for their expertise in transplanting of large trees. Root pruning and preparations will begin this summer. The actual transplanting will occur this fall - ‘when the sap falls'.
Installation is scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2010.
We are moving right along toward becoming a Tier One University!
Landscaping Diagram