West Texas A&M University is an iconic campus landscape, blending architecture with modern plantings. The main focal point of this campus is the Buffalo Fountain. Placed in front of Old Main, it welcomes students to campus every day with rushing water surrounded by meticulously cared for annual plantings.

The plantings around the fountain, and the surrounding beds, are refreshed as needed to keep this location looking its best. The fast moving water creates is own microclimate, with temperatures dropping by as much as 10 degrees in the area. Knowing the importance to students on campus, hardscapes in the vicinity are blown every morning before visitors arrive.

One pathway from the parking lots to Old Main comes through the Pedestrian Mall. Plantings in this area are low maintenance, adapted species in contrast to the annuals around the fountain. Canyon, Texas has a very inhospitable climate for plants with winter temperatures reaching the teens with 50+ mph winds and summer temperatures near 100. All with rainfall below 20 inches.

This symbolic wall is framed by low growing perennials with meticulously managed turfgrass between the pavers. This event space is routinely used by the school and pays homage to their mascot, the buffalo. In an effort to reduce the amount of annuals used on campus, locations like this have been transitioned to perennials over the years with the intent of providing 3 season color displays.

While trees may not be a part of a typical west Texas landscape, West Texas A&M has a vibrant tree canopy planted decades ago in the hope of providing shade to students. These trees are fully mature and the extremely high pH of 9.5 causes iron deficiencies that must be managed.

This seating area and perennial bed is located by the Engineering and Computer Science building. This bed is designed for late summer/fall interest with tall grasses that will blow in the seasonal winds. A unique challenge of this area is a constant need to prune the grasses so they do not impede the ADA ramp when the wind blows.

Plantings such as these are fairly low maintenance in this climate. With extremely low humidity, disease and insect pressure is low and the main concerns are with water management and soil pH. A central control irrigation system with 63 controllers set to adjust on ET helps manage this challenge.

Siberian Elms line an old horse-drawn wagon trail from the 1900s. These days, this walkway is used for tailgating every fall with the football stadium just to the west. Since this area is student housing, electric equipment is used to keep noise levels down and allow for a peaceful living environment. Tree canopy pruning is a necessity with these over-mature trees, and is handled by both inhouse and trusted partners.

J.A. Hill Chapel was constructed in 1950 and routinely hosts events on campus. Since this building is open to the public at all hours, the team must make sure it is clean and inviting at all times. Turf in this, and most, areas of campus is fescue. This presents real challenges on campus when the temperatures stay above 90 degrees all summer without rain.

Victory Circle is a busy intersection of buses and other campus traffic. This area is irrigated by subsurface drip, allowing for it to run during the day without issues from the high winds or evaporation. Marigolds are a common flower on campus and they thrive in the harsh conditions.

Along major throughfares on campus, it is common to have annuals intertwined with the permanent perennial and shrub plantings. Sweet potato vine has become a campus favorite and is routinely requested to be a part of our designs. This gives an every changing landscape that is full of interest and pruning challenges for our team.

The east lawn is home to a solemn memorial commemorating WT alums who lost their lives defending our country's freedom. Perennial beds surround this space with spring and summer blooms. Teams regularly deadhead to promote more blooming.

This area is used by student groups for recruiting and events causing constant cleanup. Teams check areas like this multiple times a day to take care of issues before they present problems to others. Unique perennials that are adapted to the climate are used here to provide interest to all.

The clock tower is the focal point of this plaza and is framed by tree canopy and perennial plantings. Walking through areas like this would make anyone forget the harsh landscape that lies just beyond campus.

The campus has an extensive holiday light display that our teams are responsible for setting up. The work starts in early October so the team can finish and turn the festive light display on in November for students. This grows each year and requires year round planning.

The campus entrances are much less tree covered and are much more exposed. Decomposed granite is used as mulch in these areas so it does not blow away in the winds. While this works well, it creates a heat island effect and can cause heat susceptible shrubs to have issues. Over time, we have found plants that work in different areas of campus and have adjusted the master plan to match.

Back at the buffalo fountain plaza, purple fountain grass provides late summer interest that dances in the winds. Drip irrigation irrigates these beds and requires constant checks since local wildlife has learned where the water comes from. Just another part of the team's normal day!