Even though the course ALE 3030 - Planting Design is being offered for the first time this semester, faculty member Fortino Acosta made sure his students could learn hands-on by engaging with a real-world, community-based project.

This semester, students in this new course partnered with the Town of Morristown, Vermont to envision and redesign the landscaping at the town's entrance. The assignment was to create an eye-catching, year-round, sustainable landscaping solution that would improve the first impression visitors have when they enter the town, as well as provide locals with pride of place.  Each student in the course created their own design solution to address the unique challenges of the planting site, including integrating a historic watering trough, a steep incline, water runoff concerns, roadway visibility considerations, and planning for four seasons of aesthetically pleasing and horticulturally sustainable plant choices. 

overhead planting design detail
Site Plan by Nate Leef

Many of the students in the class are enrolled in the new Ecological Landscape Planning and Design major in the Department of Agriculture, Landscape and Environment, and are considering careers in horticultural design or landscape architecture. Having a project with an actual client partner helps students build their portfolios while they also gain experience in client collaborations, navigating local ordinances, and implementing community prealma ferences.

Illustration of the Gateway garden
Alma Smith's illustration of the Morristown Gateway Garden planting

The Morrisville Alliance for Culture and Commerce (MACC), which is Morristown's Downtown organization, is partnering with the Town of Morristown and the Village of Morrisville on this landscaping project.  MACC members came to UVM to hear the students present their designs. Their group included one landscape architect, one UVM alumnus, and all the visitors asked engaging questions and offered thoughtful feedback.

Seasonal Plantings Color Palette Schema

Adele Taplin, the Economic and Community Development Director for the Town of Morristown, expressed her admiration for all the thoughtful efforts the students in the class put into their site considerations as well as the breadth of innovation they demonstrated through their diverse approaches. “We were all so impressed with the student's work and excited to move forward with the project... as we work to get funding to implement.”

student showing design work
Miles Wright explains his design to the MACC visitors

Student Miles Wright introduced his design presentation by expressing gratitude to the visitors from Morrisville for the opportunity to work on a project with such real impact. 

“I feel like, as far as school projects go, this was very inspiring. I felt like I really cared about what I was doing because it was for Vermont and not just an arbitrary quarter acre,” Wright said.

For Acosta, the project provides a unique creative opportunity, whether or not the students are enrolled in the new Landscape Design major. “Our students may go on to careers in this field, or they may have other career aspirations, but a project like this helps them to consider multiple, complex needs and problem-solve for a solution that is both practical and inspirational.  That will prepare them for any career they choose to pursue.”