Blooms and biodiversity unveil valley’s spring spectacle

The vibrant array of spring blooms adorn the campus as a testament to its sustainability. 

By: Katherine OBrien Field, Copy Editor and Staff Writer

Sea lavender, birds of paradise, lantana, African daisies, and gazanias on campus glitter in the sunlight like starlet’s jewels on a monarch's crown. 

Spring is a time of renewal – of sky blue robin’s eggs, smells of earth, of warm weather and bloom where Valley College welcomes the new season with methodically planted spring flowers.  

The blooms can be found spread out across campus – including by the classrooms, on Monarch Square, in the bio-soil platform on the Student Union plaza and Hatteras Street in front of the North Gym. Each variety flourishes in the sun and exhibits a colorful glistening when watered.

“The designers chose plants with low water maintenance” said Rudy Majano, Acting General Foreman of the campus grounds. “For example, the gazanias by the North Gym are a good ground cover. The gazanias are low growing, which is good for wide coverage and are watered only twice a week for 20 minutes on a drip line” said Majano. 

The use of low water planting demonstrates Valley College’s attention to the needs of the environment. The biology department decided to establish an Urban Forest Master Plan in 2010 and a year later, Valley won recognition as the 2011 Tree Campus USA, by the Arbor Foundation. Valley won this distinction every year through 2018, which led to more than 1,600 plants and trees being planted on campus. 

“When choosing plants for a Southern California garden, the designer needs to pick from the  varieties that can withstand full sun and are drought tolerant”, said Pami Ozaki, a landscape designer and co-owner of Topanga’s Sassafras Shoppe. Ozaki identified a special feature of a campus plant – the purple sea lavender. “This California plant spreads, but only around itself, and is a good match with roses. It is often used as a cut flower because it maintains its color, even when dried.”  

According to the National Garden Bureau, having many different kinds of plants is beneficial to the ecosystem because it promotes different soil microorganisms. Growing a single plant can eventually deplete nutrients in soil, while diverse planting allows different nutrients to benefit each other and draw in pollinators, helping the plants to replicate and the landscape to flourish. 

While some campus flowers bloom throughout the year, the varieties mentioned dazzle the eye right now and can be enjoyed through the end of summer. Then the cooler weather shall harken the reign of another family of plants, and the life cycle will reveal its majesty once again.