Profile: Roger L. Conner — Landscape Coordinator, Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center

By Roger Conner, Landscape Coordinator

Roger L. Conner, CGM, Landscape Coordinator, University of Virginia Photos courtesy of Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center

Iris in bloom, with Rhododendron in the background.

At the University of Virginia they have a history of landscaping and grounds care. The landscaping ideas at the University started with Thomas Jefferson who said, “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever he had a chosen people, whose breasts He made His peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue. It is the focus in which He keeps alive that sacred fire which otherwise might escape from the face of the earth.”

In 1989 the Patient Plant Therapy Greenhouse, a 10-foot by 24-foot greenhouse, was built to support a growing interest in using plants for physical therapy. Each year, it is decorated with different seasonal designs, such as these mums and pumpkins in an autumn display for patients.

No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. —Thomas Jefferson

With these words as an example of the impact our work has on the community and nature, we perform our duties of beautifying and maintaining the grounds of various sites around the university, for example a small part of the health system at the University of Virginia is the Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center (KCRC), a recent addition to the Landscape Department’s ground care responsibilities.

Turf management is made easy with the Ventrac tractor and mower attachment. KCRC sits on 15-acres of mature, park-like landscape with 7.8 acres of turf.

The facility serves acute and rehabilitation patients. It includes a 19-bed in-patient unit and 22 outpatient clinics focusing on the evaluation and treatment of children with physical and mental handicaps ranging from amputations, brain injuries, cancer, cerebral palsy, spinabifida, mental retardation, or visual impairments. KCRC sits on 15-acres of mature, park-like landscape with 7.8 acres of turf, 2.12 acres of woody ornamentals, 1.1 acres of woodland and .25 acres of flowers and groundcovers.

“We have created wetland beds and dry stream beds for areas that are inconsistently moist but create similar maintenance problems during the wet season. We use primarily native plant material in these areas. Mowing drainage ditches can be difficult as there are stones and standing water.” — Roger Conner

The crew is responsible for all aspects of the landscape: mowing, edging, aerating and fertilizing the turf; edging, weeding and mulching the beds; planting, pruning and fertilizing the shrubs and trees; trash removal; leaf removal. Fall aeration is done by using the Ventrac tractor with an aerator and seedbox attachment.

This year, KCRC is celebrating 50 years, since its establishment in 1957 for the rehabilitation and education of children and their parents. The landscape helps by giving patients plenty of room to roam with differing terrains and surfaces.

This small medicinal garden has something for all the senses: sight, smell, taste and touch qualities which can be used by the therapist in the healing process. Achillea millefolium for cold and flu, Lavandula for headaches and Rosmarinus for memory are among the medicinal properties patients can learn about.

The stately grove of mature hardwoods consisting of Acer, Platanus, Prunus Quercus, cornus and Salix gives the parents a pleasant place to stroll and contemplate. The hardwoods also supply a great structure to build a landscape that will take the patients and parents’ minds somewhere other than worrying about being in a medical facility.

Herbicide and pesticide use in patient care areas requires that greater caution be used in the selection of products. The University of Virginia uses pyrethrins and more organic products.

In 1989, with financing from Giant Foods, a 10-foot by 24-foot greenhouse was built to support a growing interest in using plants for physical therapy. The greenhouse, two raised beds and an herb garden, are the focus of horticultural therapy. Activities are designed to improve a specific skill related to gross motor skills, fine motor skills, dexterity, eye hand coordination, dynamic balance, sight, touch, smell and taste.

When patients and parents arrive, this is the view they see from the front door of the facility looking toward the main road. The stately grove of mature hardwoods consisting of Acer, Platanus, Prunus Quercus, cornus and Salix gives the parents a pleasant place to stroll and contemplate.

KCRC’s grounds are diverse, ranging from boggy lowland areas to hilly, sunny and dry areas to very shady woodland areas. This creates unique opportunities for the landscape crew to create a variety of gardens. Here, the crew is working hard to create a wetland native planting site.

In 2005, we renovated the greenhouse and redesigned the beds. A medicinal herb garden was established using Achillea millefolium for cold and flu, Artemisia for removing intestinal parasites, Geranium for stopping bleeding, Hypericum for antiseptic qualities, Monardia for relieving nausea andd menstrual pain, Lavandula for headaches and Rosmarinus for memory. These plants also have sight, smell, touch and taste qualities which can be used by the therapist in the healing process.

Roger lends a helping hand with a planting project. Drought tolerant beds have been created in areas of full sun while woodland beds and retreats have been located in shady areas.

KCRC’s grounds are diverse, ranging from boggy lowland areas to hilly, sunny and dry areas to very shady woodland areas. This creates unique opportunities for the landscape crew to create a variety of gardens. We have created wetland beds and dry stream beds for areas that are inconsistently moist but create similar maintenance problems during the wet season. We use primarily native plant material in these areas. Drought tolerant beds have been created in areas of full sun and woodland beds and retreats are located in shady areas.

A late spring snow adds to the effect of the blooms of prunus but ends the length of the flowering enjoyment.

As a full service maintenance crew, we are responsible for all aspects of the landscape: mowing, edging, aerating and fertilizing the turf; edging, weeding and mulching the beds; planting, pruning and fertilizing the shrubs and trees; trash removal; leaf removal; snow removal and design of most beds and annual plantings. This work takes an average of two full time employees to keep the grounds safe and beautiful, but is shared by 12 employees ranging from gardeners, turf crew and an IMP specialist.

KCRL’s newest crew members help remove vines and weeds from an old pool on site.

Thomas Jefferson said, “No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” With these words and thoughts we work to create surroundings that are ecologically harmonious, aesthetically pleasing, relaxing and therapeutic to those who visit us and use the gardens. In the few years we have maintained the grounds of KCRC, we have turned swampland into garden and fields into turf. The drastic changes have been recognized by the staff, patients, parents and community. Our hope is that these grounds will also be recognized by our peers.

As a winner of the Small Site Green Star Award from the Professional Grounds Management Society, Mr. Conner’s wish has been granted.