Ornamental Horticulture

General recommendations

• Planting large trees along the school compound and the rear and wings will help to bring down noise and cut down dust and storms. This plantation will also help to keep down severe heat and cold.
• The front should be planted with medium-sized flowering trees for beauty.
• The trees should not completely obstruct the view of the building from outside.
• For enhancing the scenic beauty, a row of flowering trees with different blooming seasons may be planted in front of the large trees along the periphery.
• It is difficult to give any general recommendation regarding the types of trees, as this will vary according to the architectural design, situation and climate. The object is to provide beauty and comfort depending on convenience.
• The roads and paths are to be formally planted with medium to tall flowering plants.
• Before planting, provision should be made for overhead wiring and sewerage so that these do not interfere with the avenue planting.
• Where the electric wires limit the choice of avenue trees, small flowering trees such as Cochlospermum gossypium, Callistemon lanceolatus, Bauhinia variegata and Tecoma argentea can be planted.
• A lawn looks good in an educational institution, but is very difficult to maintain. The playground can be planted with lawn, if this can be maintained or should be left bare.
• A thickly planted belt of eucalyptus for peripheral planting is considered ideal. Silver oak, Polyalthia and Samanea saman are also suitable for this purpose.
• Cassia fistula, Tecoma argentea, Erythrina indica, Lagerstroemia flos-reginae and Bauhinia variegata are suitable for planting in the front and in the front row of the border planting.
• The roads and paths are to be formally planted with medium to tall flowering plants.
• Shrubs play an important part in the school landscaping. Shrub borders can replace hedges in parks or playgrounds since they are very effective and also the maintenance is minimum.
• Climbers such as Bignonia venusta supported against a wall would look beautiful. Creepers climbing with their rootlets such as Ficus repens, Tecoma radicans can also be trained over stone or brick walls.
• Besides an ornamental or a landscape garden, universities and colleges can also maintain a botanical garden or a student garden, where the plants are arranged in groups, family wise so that such gardens become educative.