It had been nearly 62 years between landscaping assignments at Orlando’s Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Luke for the Foster family, but each was especially significant.

Noted landscape architect Bert T. Foster, ASLA, recently volunteered to revamp the landscaping for the historic, 62-year-old downtown landmark during its $3 million, 1 1/2 year renovation.

Foster’s involvement was noteworthy because it was the first major restoration of St. Luke’s landscaping since his father, Mulford B. Foster, provided the original landscape design when the cathedral was built in 1925, according to church historian Dan Smith.

And just as his father did some 62 years ago, Foster applied his renown landscape design skills and attention to detail to provide “a lush, but dignified landscape setting” that would enhance and complement the church grounds and the cathedral’s Gothic architecture.

“There were some stately old ligustrums and pittosporums that had to be removed because they’d either overgrown or been over pruned,” said Foster, who along with partner Rick Conant, ASLA, and the award-winning staff of Foster-Conant & Associates, donated his time and energy to provide a totally new landscape design for the cathedral.

Working closely with Doug McKnight, head of St. Luke’s landscape committee, Foster-Conant removed all existing landscaping and introduced “a lushly understated but highly attractive landscape scheme.”

Ribbons of mondo grass, dwarf hollies and Formosa azaleas were employed in raised planters on three sides of the cathedral and at the front of the chapel. To add color, scale and dimension, Foster-Conant introduced Bradford pear trees in the planter on the north side of the cathedral, and framed the cathedral’s main entrance with Torulosa junipers and Washingtonian palms.

In the cathedral close (courtyard) between the cathedral and chapel, Foster-Conant rearranged bench seating and introduced elm trees for shade and visual appeal.

To further heighten visual appeal and to embellish a feature fountain that had been relocated to the west end of the close, Foster-Conant created a circular enclosure of colorful crepe myrtle, trees.

Landscape contracting was supervised by Foster-Conant and provided by Metro Landscape Contractors of Altamonte Springs, while a new irrigation system was installed by Water Systems, also of Altamonte Springs.

Architect for the renovation was Schweizer, Inc. of Orlando, and the contractor was Demetree Central Constructors Corp. of Longwood.