By Christine Nelson | Observer Contributor
Photo by Brianna Stevens
Alan Cumming is a force behind much of the landscape events and changes to our 296 acres that make up the Gardner campus.
Cumming initiated the idea of removing trees from behind the daycare to solve a variety of problems. The area was attracting a number of different animals, including an “eight-foot long rat snake,” Cumming said. The school was interested in adding light, as well as access to the back of the building. Eliminating some trees also offers added safety, as the police can now see into that area.
“The trees also shaded the C parking lot, making it icy in the cold weather,” Cumming added. Someday he sees the potential for the space to be used by students.
When Cumming was first hired, almost six years ago, he saw opportunity for change. The student entrance to the building had heavy dated plantings of yews and rhododendrons.
“We had lots of rocks from the installation of the wind turbines,” described Cumming. “I piled up rocks for some height, then added perennials in between. The resulting plan is low cost, low maintenance, has low water requirements, with different colors and textures.” Cumming works with two other team members; the three are in charge of all landscaping, snow removal, general exterior responsibilities, and campus preparation for functions such as graduation.
This UMASS Amherst, Stockbridge School of Agriculture graduate has had a variety of agriculture and landscape related jobs, including his own farm. For students interested in agriculture related work, Cumming recommends, “Start small and find your own niche. It is a lot of hard work, but it can also be rewarding.”
Despite his numerous responsibilities at the Mount, he sees opportunity for new ideas and change. For example, Cumming noted that our campus consists mostly of large pines. He sees the potential for adding smaller trees for diversity. A dwarf fruit orchard on campus could add beauty and be used as a teaching space for horticulture classes. “A school is a good place for experimentation,” Cumming said.
Perhaps Cumming’s biggest challenge is the weather. “We have long winters and it could be snowing here when it is not snowing elsewhere.”
He has some advice for gardeners too. In the interest of making outdoor spaces more sustainable, Cumming finds alternatives to mulch, which uses up trees, energy, money, and is labor intensive to spread. Instead he prefers to use stone. “Laying a landscape fabric first and then spreading stones on top, from pea stone up to 1.5” in size, has worked fairly well,” Cumming said. He also uses non-invasive ground covers with low water requirements to replace the mulch, such as sedum.
“I really like my work. I have met a lot of nice people, students, faculty, and coworkers. And I like the opportunity to create different kinds of landscapes,” Cumming said.
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