Waterworks Community Theater (WWCT) Landscape Project

It is probably fair to say that the grounds at the Waterworks Players Community Theater are not the most hospitable to plants.  Nonetheless, we have embarked on a long term project to add trees, shrubs and flowers to the grounds to improve the grounds and also add a touch of beauty to the rather bleak industrial park in which the theater is located.  Please visit our property and take at look at our various plant specimens!  If you would like to donate plants or volunteer time for this project, please contact WWCT Board Member Leigh Lunsford.

Below are some before and after shots of the theater grounds.  All pictures are thumbnail images, click on a picture to see a high resolution image.

Below are three images showing the planting of a perennial garden around the light pole at WWCT during May, 2007.  Unfortunately we did not take a picture before we cleared the bed of the weeds that were growing there.  The pictures show (from left to right) the cleared bed, the bed planted with various hardy perennials, and the bed mulched.  Perennials planted include purple coneflower, black-eyed susan (yellow coneflower), shasta diasy, lamb's ear, vinca, oregano, old-fashioned blue iris, day lilies, and various bulbs.  We also planted some Mexican sunflower seed (an annual).  We hope this perennial flower garden will provide years of beauty and enjoyment to the folks who frequently travel through the industrial park.
Below are images of trees and shrubs that have been recently planted at WWCT.  We hope they will live as we have not had much luck in the past with trees surviving on the property (see the history section below).
Jamestown Short Leaf Pines saplings (at least two per hole planted, six holes planted).  These were obtained by WWCT Board Member Mary Jo Stockton as part of the Jamestown 2007 - America's 400th Anniversary Celebration.  We also planted a Jamestown Cherrybark Oak on the WWCT property.	Two crepe myrtles (in the foreground, donated by Board Member Mary Jo Stockton) and a flowering crabapple (malus sargenti, donated by Board Member Laura Bayless).  We also planted a third crepe myrtle on the other side of the entrance.	A Washington Hawthorne (foreground) and an American Redbud (background).  We also planted another Washington Hawthorne on the grounds.  These trees were all donated by Board Member Laura Bayless.
	Future Work Awaits!  You can see we still have quite a bit of work to do.  This is the bed on the right side of the theater which needs weeding, plants moved, and mulching.  You can see where we pulled a few weeds from the parking lot in the picture on the right.  We hope to get this job tackled before our production of 1776 scheduled  for July 2007.  Stay tuned for some great "after" pictures!

A brief history of the WWCT Landscape Project (in reverse chronological order):

• Depending on volunteer availability, plans for this summer (2007) include weeding and mulching flower beds around the building. 
• A perennial flower bed was planted by WWCT and Master Gardener Intern Leigh Lunsford around the WWCT light pole (May 2007). 
• WWCT Board Members continue to acquire various plant donations for the grounds.  The WWCT Board acquired three crepe myrtles, 12 Jamestown short leaf pine trees, a Jamestown Cherrybark oak and 4 other trees.  These were planted at various times by either WWCT Board Member Mary Jo Stockton, Master Gardener Intern Leigh Lunsford, and/or volunteer Phillip Poplin (April/May 2007)
• Master Gardener interns mulch newly planted trees, weed some of the beds around the building, and spray roundup in the parking lot. (Spring 2006)
• WWCT Board Member Leigh Lunsford took the Master Gardener class as a result of working with Judy Hodges on the WWCT project. (Spring 2006)
• Various WWCT Board Members spread lime (as recommended by Master Gardener Judy Hodges) on the WWCT grounds.  (Summer and Fall 2005)
• WWCT Board Members Mary Jo Stockton, Leigh Lunsford, Michael Montgomery, and Dudley Sauve, along with Master Gardeners Judy and Larry Hodges planted the 6 donated trees.  Two trees survived the summer of 2006 despite regular watering by Master Gardener Intern and WWCT Board Member Leigh Lunsford. (Fall 2005)
• WWCT Board Member Mary Jo Stockton obtained the donation of 6 trees from a local nursery (this nursery had previously donated 4 trees to WWCT, 1 of which survived).  (Fall 2005)
• WWCT Board Member Dudley Sauve obtained soil samples from the WWCT grounds for analysis.
• WWCT Board Member Mary Jo Stockton worked with Master Gardener Judy Hodges to draw up landscape plans for the grounds.  (Summer 2005)