The fall phase of construction for the Botanical Gardens is scheduled to be completed this week, said Associate Vice President of Facilities Management Steve Lawrence.

Phase one, which is divided into the fall and spring semesters, entails the cultivation of 944 plants.

Most plants in the fall segment of phase one are in place.

“What they’re planting right now is the Woodland’s edge and the meadows shrub,” Lawrence said.

As part of the process, a fence was raised around the Wakelin McNeel woodlot.

Lawrence said the fence was put in place to keep people from interfering with the work being done in the area.

“They excavated a foot of soil and replaced it with a soil high in organic content,” he said.

The entire project is being constructed in stages and is funded entirely by donations. While phase one is under way, phase two will only begin if and when the resources become available.

“Some of the donations are in place. We had to raise money both for the current plants and for the future maintenance of the garden,” said Associate Dean of the College of Science of Technology Claudia Douglass.

The gardens broke ground more than a month ago and are expected to be completed by this time next year.

The Botanical Gardens will include only plants native to Michigan, and will be composed of three distinct gardens: Native Plants and Natural Communities, Plants and Society and Landscape Demonstrations. Each garden has a specific purpose.

The Native Plants and Natural Communities gardens will include the current woodlot and the pond, and will also include a new outdoor pavilion for events.

A bee, butterfly and hummingbird collection and a running stream and geology display will be some of the features of the Landscape Demonstration gardens, according to an article by the College of Science and Technology Spectrum newsletter.

North of Anspach Hall will be the Plants and Society gardens. Meant for K-12 education, this space will feature a children’s garden, where they will be able to experiment and learn about edible plants.

But the main function of the gardens is to provide a study and research site, Trustee emeritus James Fabiano Sr., said.

The Botanical Gardens will feature collections of woodland flowers, ferns, aquatic plants, wetland plants, ornamental grass, edible plants, medicinal plants and displays on the economic uses of plants and the interaction between plants and people.

Fabiano provided the concept and the driving force for the gardens.

“I would hope that it would have a very positive effect on the campus, the students, and secondly, on the greater Mount Pleasant community,” Fabiano said. “Not only is it going to be aesthetically pleasing, but we will be able to have community functions such as weddings, speeches and poetry readings.”

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