For certain people, landscaping is a creative outlet. Some may even think it’s a craft. Just as painters have a canvas to bring their imagination to life, the outdoors is a playground for landscapers.
The initial thing people notice when going somewhere for the first time is the landscape. That includes all the visible features of an area of countryside or land, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.
At Youngstown State University, landscaping is one aspect that would benefit from some improvement.
With spring right around the corner and April showers leading to May flowers, it marks the beginning of a new season for landscapers in the area. These outside workers begin in the spring months before concluding in the months of autumn.
Around April, landscapers start mulching their properties, and that is no different for those at YSU. With some parts of campus already mulched, it’s safe to say that a better job can be done.
Landscapers edged the mulch beds around campus this spring, but those edges were quickly filled up by the excess wood chips left in those beds. The mulch bed’s edge creates a border around a tree or garden to keep mulch from migrating off the treescape or flower beds and into your yard. It also provides a barrier for grass, weeds and other nuisance plants.
When students walk by areas that have received fresh mulch this year, they can see all the lumps left behind after the job is finished. When rain washes through the area, all the extra mulch can potentially wash away and create a mess on the sidewalks.
Besides the laying of new mulch, lawn mowers are fired up for the first time this year. Although the grass stays consistently cut, staying consistently edged is a different story.
The lawns at YSU encroach upon rock walls, light poles and buildings weeks at a time. Until the stragglers get cut after a couple of weeks, they continue to be eyesores.
Another eyesore on the campus of YSU — and one that will make mowing difficult — is the fallen tree that has been laying outside of Maag Library for most of the academic year.
Day after day, week after week, month after month that tree has rested in the yard. With it laying there all through the winter months, it is time to get rid of the lumber. With the winter months being a slower time of year for tree removal services, prices can be a little cheaper than normal during the busier months.
Although the landscape seems like a minor detail to some people, the presentation of the university can set the first impression for those looking to attend.
