Transplanting Temple Square to your yard
A beginner will likely crash a few times and earn some scrapes before figuring the right way to balance and steer, he said.
So it is with gardening.
There are a few things to learn before taking off, and people should expect to make mistakes before they master the basics, said Cannon, ground services manager for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
His advice: Start with a few plants, learn the best ways to care for them, and then add more as you progress. A slow and controlled effort pays off, according to Cannon.
"One thing that gardening will teach you — it will teach you patience," Cannon said. "Rather than doing too much too quickly without much knowledge, start small. Enjoy it. Have the success. Be pleased with what you have done and how it looks. Learn a little more and then come back the next season."
As part of his job, Cannon oversees the landmark gardens on the grounds of the LDS Church headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City, which includes Temple Square. Six "stewards" direct the design and planting of the gardens, and a handful of paid workers and as-needed volunteers also help with the process.
Summer gardens have a different look, with some of the smaller plants including marigolds, begonias and alyssum. If you took a walk recently through Temple Square and its surrounding areas, you might have noticed workers tearing up the spring flower beds to make room for summer plants.
Once cleared, stewards such as Larry Tavenner will literally throw plants into various locations in the garden to be planted. This technique of "throwing" the garden was designed to make the flowers beds appear more natural, such as in the summer meadows of Utah's mountains.
"It's not so uniform in the way we craft it, but there is an art to it," Tavenner said. "It takes a lot of testing to make it look nice. We've been working on it for a while now, and we're starting to get it, we hope."
Tavenner has worked for 33 years in the church flower beds. He wasn't trained in school but said he learned his skill through experience and multiple classes.
He enjoys tweaking his designs and carries a binder with detailed notes about what is currently in his flower beds and how he wants to change things. There are yellow sticky notes attached to sketches indicating where specific colored plants should go.
"I'm never totally satisfied," Tavenner said, smiling. "But your knowledge and ability increase as you work with it."
Recent comments
I'm from Germany and have admired this wonderful work and the...
Hanne | June 10, 2008 at 10:05 a.m.
It's just beautifull being in Temple Square and enjoy taking...
Vicky | June 7, 2008 at 10:12 a.m.
Temple sq. has always been such a joy to visit. Quiet, pretty. Calming...
Matt | June 6, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.
