Joan Buckles oversees a crew of 11 and 370 acres of trees, flowers, shrubs and plants in her role as superintendent of grounds at the University of Illinois Springfield.
She said she has always tried to “push the limit” of the planting zones to get as much variety as possible on campus. Buckles, who has a degree in horticulture, said the USDA zone maps are useful. But she said the real decisions on when, where and what to plant vary within the same yard, field or campus.
“You can always stretch the zone limits by making micro-climates,” said Buckles. “For example, the south side of the house is going to be warmer than the north.”
Buckles was featured in an February 5, 2012, article in The State Journal-Register.
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