By: Corey Verkouteren (csv002@marietta.edu)
The Christy Mall is known for having some of the most beautiful plants on campus and even throughout Marietta. From banana trees to bamboo, there’s something for everyone to like. New students and faculty might not even be aware of how different the mall was just ten years ago! Groundskeepers, Cody Castle and Dwight Alsbach, were able to provide a special inside look at the work behind the gorgeous scenery around campus.
Some plants you might not expect to be in Marietta, like black bamboo, tricyrtis, Japanese forest grass, and hostas to bring some Asian influence outside Irvine Hall and along the mall. These plants are unique to campus in the area, and the bamboo had to be grown for five years before it sprouted.
A strikingly large addition to campus are the red banana trees. These tropical plants are the largest of the annual plants and can grow due to the higher average temperatures globally.
A popular staple along the Christy Mall is the cutting garden. Currently, this garden features Mexican sunflowers and zinnias, which can be clipped and taken to your dorm or office.
Along the winding sidewalk beside the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center you can spot weeping spruce and contorted filberts, along with some daisies and ground cover cleverly designed around the shape of the building.
Perhaps the most recognizable of the plants are the glacier sky petunias that dot the campus with the Pioneer’s colors. These flowers are actually closer to a blue violet in the center, but they are about as close as one can get to the iconic navy blue.
Lantanas decorate the Legacy Library windows, one of the few plants that are able to withstand the heat that reflects off the glass. This flower also attracts hummingbirds.
Leaving the library and entering the amphitheater, a canna lily in a large red planter makes for a spectacle among the stone in the center of campus
A less appreciated aspect of the gardens are the various garden floor types. Across campus you’ll find stone, dark mulch, and different types of ground plants highlighting the showpieces of the garden.
We’ll end our showcase off with a tree infamous among those walking to Thomas Hall, the Chinese Chestnut Trees. These trees produce chestnuts which are surrounded in the spiky hides you see on the patio outside the building.
Edited by: Zachary Worstell (zdw001@marietta.edu)
