An Insight Into the Lawn Preparations for UVA’s Final Exercises
The University of Virginia’s iconic Lawn is not just a patch of grass; it is the centerpiece of the Academical Village and plays a crucial role during the Final Exercises. Each year, graduates have the honor of walking down the Lawn, but this tradition requires meticulous groundwork to ensure the area is in pristine condition.
Rich Hopkins, who serves as the associate director of Grounds at UVA Facilities Management, oversees a team dedicated to readying the Lawn for this significant event. “The turf on the Lawn is the pallet that the Academical Village rests on,” Hopkins noted. “It’s part of the image that comes to mind when you think of UVA.”
This season, the Lawn has been treated with perennial rye grass, chosen for its quick germination. To further enhance its vibrancy, the grass has been fertilized multiple times throughout the spring. Frequent mowing is also implemented to maintain the ideal grass height.
In addition to the grass, the trees on the Lawn require attention. Hopkins enlisted a private contractor to assess the trees’ health, addressing any winter damage. “Big O Tree Service worked for a week, pruning the trees on the Lawn,” Hopkins shared. “They identified one ash tree that had died over the winter, and they removed it.”
The crew’s responsibilities extend to pruning and mulching the Lawn’s shrubs. “We replaced the shrubs along the Rotunda on the Lawn side,” Hopkins explained. “We removed boxwoods, planted about 10 years ago, that were showing their age, replacing them with a variety of Japanese holly.”
The preparation involves about a dozen landscapers working diligently on the Lawn. Following the landscaping efforts, Facilities Management teams assemble metal ramps for graduates to cross the terraces, install necessary roping and fencing, and arrange seating for the ceremony.
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