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TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2010
Photo credit: Image supplied by Matt Construction
Plant Acquisition from the Contractor's Perspective Acquiring the more than 50,000 plant specimens needed to complete the landscaping at the Center has been accomplished not only by scouring the Coachella Valley for every appropriate tree, shrub and succulent but by extending that search well beyond the valley. In fact, the process of locating these plants involved five reconnaissance trips to half a dozen or more nurseries throughout southern California and western Arizona. The initial trips allowed a comprehensive photo journal to be developed that serves as a guide for plant appearance, size and health. Subsequent trips have served to verify that materials initially selected were still thriving and up to the standards established for project plant materials. The validation that this process has been effective is evidenced by the quality of the plant materials that began arriving at the site early this year.
Josh Anderson
THURSDAY, JANUARY, 21, 2010
Photo credit: Image supplied by the Office of James Burnett
Procuring the Plants for an Innovative DesignThe quality of the plants in any garden, but especially one with as innovative a design as the Annenberg Center at Sunnylands, are a crucial component of its success. Recognizing this, the design team began by touring nurseries in southern California and Arizona to find both the species required and to assess each nursery's ability and willingness to provide the quality necessary for this project. All of the nurseries which were selected became partners in the process of procurement with members of the design, installation and construction team visiting often and consulting closely about growing, pruning, and potting schedules. A number of site visits during the process helped to maintain strong communication ties among all the partners. This effort and the responsiveness of the growers to the design vision for the project assured the design team that every plant meets the exacting quality standards required for the project. This close collaboration among all members of the team and the growers is displayed in both the superb quality of the plants and how well each one fits into the vision and design of the garden.
Mary Irish |
