MARRIOTT, ROANOKE COLLEGE WIN NATIONAL AWARDS FOR LANDSCAPING

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 4, 1993                   TAG: 9303040458
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: S-7   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
MARRIOTT, ROANOKE COLLEGE WIN NATIONAL AWARDS FOR LANDSCAPING
The grounds maintenance departments at Roanoke College and the Roanoke Airport Marriott have been honored with national awards for their landscaping and grounds maintenance.
Each won a Grand Award from the Professional Grounds Management Society, based in Hunt Valley, Md. The award is the society's highest honor.
The society, in this annual competition, judges grounds maintenance in 12 categories. Roanoke College entered in the school/university category, and the Marriott was judged in the small-site category.
The Roanoke College grounds department, under W. Mark Burton, had several special projects that were considered in its judging for the 1992 competition.
Among them were two special trees that needed extra care. One was a 95-foot-high, 100-year-old American elm that was struck by lightning. The other was a large red oak that experienced root damage during construction of the college's Fintel Library.
Other special projects were an extensive walkway replacement program, care of more than 2,000 plants including about 479 trees, more than an acre of flower and shrub beds, 52 acres of lawn and 15 acres of walkways and parking lots.
Bill Shrader, a horticulturist with Carter Associates, the architectural firm that maintains the Marriott landscape, said his big challenge on the 12-acre site is "to have a big-league look on a small budget."
Also, he strives to maintain landscape color all year. This means that the 60 varieties of plants, including 20,000 bulbs, are designed to give the landscape an alive look most of the year.
Spring, summer and fall flowers provide color during those seasons, and flowering cabbage gives color into the winter.
Marriott also won a Keep Virginia Beautiful Landscape Excellence recognition in both 1991 and 1992.
The 1992 competition of the Professional Grounds Management Society was its 20th awards program. The program is co-sponsored by Grounds Maintenance magazine.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB