Area of Focus

Landscape Design

Research Interests

• Landscape design and management landscape architecture and plant materials
• Consumer preference studies on ornamental grasses in the field and in containers
• Applied field studies on landscape plants, including shrub roses and herbaceous landscape plants
• Rural entrepreneurship and the development of niche markets for landscape materials

Extension Area of Emphasis

• Landscape design and management for sustainable landscapes
  • Basic design, applied to home or commercial settings
  • Specific situations and solutions
  • Management of landscapes and individual species
• Landscape plants
  • Identification; design use; cultural requirements; combinations; and management of woody and herbaceous landscape plants including perennials and ornamental in managed and naturalized landscapes
• Selection and management of plant materials for use in sustainable landscapes

Major Project Activities

• Undergraduate and distance education
• Part of a team developing a statewide horticulture curriculum for extension
• Part of a team completing an extension circular entitled "Perennial Landscape Plants for the Northern Great Plains-Selection and Management"
• Horticulture Foundations publication series
• Two-day workshop on herbaceous landscape plants for credit and non-credit
• Working with a multi-disciplinary team to develop a plant database as part of the Library of Croptechnology
• Helping coordinate state-based master gardener training; supervising several specific master gardener volunteer efforts, including management of plants in containers in downtown Lincoln and evaluation of roses and grasses
• Supervision of a UCARE student working on a consumer preference study of ornamental grasses in containers
• Developing a basic horticulture course in 'Backyard Plant Science' to be team-taught
• Working with a small group of faculty members to develop a viable project with Nebraska Department of Roads
• Developing a communications committee structure and plan of action for Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association
• Co-authoring several NebGuides in a horticulture series
• Developing the plans for the successful "Backyard Farmer Backyard Makeover" contestant and design suggestions for the weekly runners-up

Courses Taught

• Cultivars and Varieties of Woody Plants for Landscapes, PLAS/NRES 213
• Herbaceous Landscape Plants, PLAS/NRES 214
• Independent Study and Career Experience, PLAS 395, 396, 398
• Planting Design, PLAS/ARCH 467
• Ecological Landscape Design, PLAS/ARCH 469
• Critical Thinking in Landscape Management, PLAS 470
• Independent Study: Herbaceous Landscape Plants, PLAS 896 (DISTANCE)
• Workshops: Herbaceous Landscape Plants, Perennials and Ornamental Grasses, Landscape Management, Landscape Design, Landscape Solutions, Choosing and Using Trees and Shrubs