Preparing campus for graduation
A team effort
Preparing for graduation is a team effort across the whole of the Warwick community - and our Estates teams play a big role in this. The Gardens team, pictured right, makes sure that campus grounds are picture-perfect before and during graduation.
In this blog, Gardens Team Leader Mark Wilson talks us through how his teams prepare...
Mark: "Our preparation for graduation starts back in late April when we put the first fertiliser on the lawn followed by a second high nitrogen fertiliser in mid-June.
The dahlias and the impatiens ('touch-me-nots') arrive in early May in plug form, and we grow them in our poly tunnel, here on campus."
Mark Wilson, Ted Weller, Kevan Powell, Siobhan Brown, Charmion Roberts and Parvane Sahampour
Mark: "The rest of the bedding arrives in early June, after the risk of frost has passed. We then spend the month planting them across campus, in time for when the ceremonies start.
During graduation the work continues - the team starts at 6am to mow the lawns, water the bedding and generally check that everything is up to the standard we wish to achieve. My team has done a wonderful job."
Mark: "This year, as well as all the usual work, we had the 'Big W' to install - our first large 3D bedding display. The 'W' is fixed to a concrete sub-base to make it secure, and it's been under-planted with dahlias to frame it.
We’ve seen queues of people wanting their photo taken next to it. It’s quite the crowd pleaser!"
