CWC’s garden guru
CWC’s garden guru
The Ranger | Sarah Elmquist Squires
Every year, from when the first tiny crocuses open their petals to the sun in spring, to the flush of ripe berries in August, to painstakingly top-dressing and seeding the soccer fields after every game, a small crew of landscapers at Central Wyoming College (CWC) are hard at work on the ground each day.
Knowing every square inch of the college’s more than 100 acres across its Riverton and Lander campuses is no easy task. But for CWC Grounds Supervisor Andy Titus and his crew, TJ Vaughn, Will Bowen, and student worker Ryon Florence, it’s all part of the meticulous care and thoughtful planning that make CWC’s campus a bright spot in Central Wyoming.
Cruising along the Riverton campus in an electric utility cart, Titus points to some of his favorite spots: The ash tree near the boiler plant that turns a brilliant shade of yellow in the fall, the last of the asiatic lilies still peppering the edges of the campus’ walkways. He stops along some bushes spreading along a sunny narrow bed for a snack; even in their off year, there’s good eating at the raspberry patch.
Managing a campus that has nearly 1,000 trees, giant spreads of lush green lawns, and dozens of flower gardens and beds accenting walkways and buildings is a monumental effort. Even just the sprinkler system is a complex – 13 clocks on more than 20 zones. Titus explains that everything from pruning to planting to fertilizing is part of a complex plan that keeps his team hard at work year-round. Flip that calendar forward a month, and the team will be cutting back irises, lily ends, sumac, Russian sage.
“Everything really is just on a schedule,” Titus said. But even the most carefully laid plans must make room for Mother Nature; the crew keeps a careful watch on the weather in order to be nimble when it comes to shuffling duties.
Along with the hundreds of trees, dozens of flowers and acres and acres of wide, green lawns, CWC boasts a host of edible flora, too. “We have an edible campus,” Titus explained, counting off the list: raspberries, apples, chokecherries, plums, apricots, nanking cherries, crab apples, a peach tree, and a one-year-old pear tree that just offered up seven tiny fruits this year.
To those who enjoy campus in the summer, it’s clear that careful planting and planning has gone into the colorful blooms that adorn the grounds; when one flower finishes its show, the next is popping up in a flash of color.
“We try to layer them,” Titus said of ensuring flower beds and accents have something to offer all season long. “It’s kind of like the seasons go with the plants.”
Some spots are a little wild – milkweed, in particular, can be hard to maintain, but is an important food source for the key pollinators: monarch butterflies.
“There’s some that you want to be wild,” Titus shared, explaining that the Riverton campus has a crew of about 30 rabbits living the good life, an owl was in residence for night hunts, and deer are often seen sneaking a meal or two at CWC. “Things are starting to come back to campus, and that’s awesome.”
It’s Titus’ sixth year on the team, and second year leading it. He said when he landed at the college, he quickly enrolled in classes, learning about soil testing, how to properly use herbicides, and soaking up all the knowledge needed to maintain and enhance the campus.
“The rest is just carrying on the tradition,” he added.
These days, when Titus and his crew look across the acres of fields and gardens, they can’t help but dream about what’s next. “I’m always looking at what I can do here, what I can do there,” he explained. Titus also serves as a soccer coach, and has a special place in his heart for the fields where the magic happens; his goal is to keep CWC’s fields the best natural grass fields in the state. “I think, grass-wise, we’ve got them beat so far,” he laughs. “It really is a community thing.”