NOVA High School Landscape Renovation

A Project by UW students in EHUF 481: Field Practicum in Plant Management and Selection (Fall 2001)

Design Theme: Native Teaching Garden

This quarter, our students are working at NOVA High School. Their project site is on the western side of the school between a sidewalk, a portable building, and a fence. The NOVA students and staff wanted us to use species native to Washington to create a teaching garden that would also provide habitat. Before we started, the site’s vegetation consisted of turf, a sickly Douglas fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii), three oaks (Quercus sp.) and some overgrown and sickly daphne. The site receives full to moderate sun and has sandy soil that is well drained (except where extremely compacted). To increase diversity and habitat, our students decided to add mounded beds planted with a variety of native species.

Below are pictures of our site visits and weekly work parties. Click on any image to view a larger version of the picture.