Summer of Susans

The beautiful picture featured on the banner or this website was taken in July 2009. Reynolda House can be seen faintly in the background while Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) steal the show in the foreground.

The “re-wilding” of the Reynolda Gardens Field began over a year ago and is a rich story of the intersections between preservation, restoration, and sustainability.  The full story was told by Reynolda Gardens Manager, Preston Stockton, in last summer’s issue of The Reynolda Gardener’s Journal.

Anyone who drove, walked, or bicycled past the meadow this summer was surely captivated by its beauty.

The second chapter in this story — hundreds of personnel hours saved, gallons of gasoline not burned, pounds of air pollution emissions avoided, acres of wildlife habitat restored, and natural stormwater management capability strengthened  – is a captivating example of sustainability as well. The decision to stop mowing the field is a great example of integrated bottom line management.

We invite you to visit the meadow, and the formal gardens at Reynolda. This extraordinary gift to the university offers countless opportunities for learning, relaxing, contemplating, and re-creating.