SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 62
Download to read offline
Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture for 
Lauren Schwartz’s Memorial Greenhouse: Semester Report 
Mike Aronov 
Ini Li 
Kevin Luke 
Eugene Yao 
Jason Eckstein 
Team Leader: Ini Li 
Team Advisor: Emily Persson 
Submission Date: December 11, 2006
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-2- 
Table of Contents 
SECTION 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................... 3 
SECTION 2: PROJECT DESCRIPTION................................................................................... 4 
DESCRIPTION OF GATEWAY COURSE AND SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAM.............................. 4 
DESCRIPTION OF TEAM’S ORGANIZATION................................................................................... 4 
DESCRIPTION OF COMMUNITY PARTNER..................................................................................... 5 
DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTED PROBLEM...................................................................................... 6 
FORMAL PROBLEM STATEMENT................................................................................................... 7 
NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS.................... 8 
DESCRIPTION OF EVOLUTION OF DESIGN .................................................................................... 9 
DEFINING THE PROBLEM.................................................................................................................. 9 
FORMULATING SOLUTIONS.............................................................................................................. 9 
DEVELOPING MODELS/PROTOTYPES ............................................................................................. 10 
IMPLEMENTING, TESTING, MODIFYING, AND PRESENTING THE FINAL DESIGN............................ 10 
SECTION 3: TRANSITION PLAN AND PROJECT DOCUMENTATION........................ 12 
CONNECTION TO PRIOR WORK AND EXPANSION OF SOLUTION............................................... 12 
DOCUMENTATION FOR DUPLICATION OF PROCESS................................................................... 12 
DOCUMENTATION FOR USE AND MAINTENANCE OF SOLUTION ............................................... 13 
PICTURES, DIAGRAMS, TECHNICAL DRAWINGS, ETC…................................................................ 14 
SECTION 4: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................. 15 
SECTION 5: APPENDICES....................................................................................................... 16 
APPENDIX A: PRODUCT DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS..................................................................... 16 
APPENDIX B: GANTT CHART....................................................................................................... 20 
APPENDIX C: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (MAYA)................................................................. 21 
APPENDIX DA: BUDGET INFORMATION AND LIST OF MATERIALS........................................... 23 
APPENDIX DB: ALPHABETIZED LIST OF ALL PLANTS ............................................................... 25 
APPENDIX DC: PLANT DESCRIPTIONS FOR HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PLANTS ....................... 26 
APPENDIX DD: NOTES ON OTHER PLANTS ................................................................................. 30 
APPENDIX E: PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATING THE TEAM EXPERIENCE................................... 35 
APPENDIX FA: IDEAS FOR HORTICULTURE ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS ................................. 36 
APPENDIX FB: PLANTING DETAILS FOR SOME VEGETABLES ................................................... 39 
APPENDIX FC: DETAILS FOR STARTING AN AVACADO TREE.................................................... 40 
APPENDIX FD: GUIDELINES FOR CARE OF PLANTS ................................................................... 42 
APPENDIX FG: SEASONAL ACTIVITIES ....................................................................................... 53 
APPENDIX G: REFERENCES CONSULTED FOR PROJECT............................................................ 54 
APPENDIX H: COPY OF POWERPOINT SLIDES............................................................................ 55
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Section 1: Executive Summary 
As students in the Fu Foundation of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia 
University, we participate in service learning projects through the Gateway Lab course. 
Our team worked among seven other teams all devoted to different aspects of designing a 
greenhouse for the community partner PS79M, a public school for physically and 
mentally handicapped students in Harlem. The parents of Lauren Schwartz, a former 
student of PS79M, have provided funding to build the greenhouse that will commemorate 
their daughter and provide the students of the school with the same opportunities that 
Lauren enjoyed during her life. Unlike most of the other students at the school, Lauren 
had regular therapy, both at the Rusk institute and at her own home; however, the 
majority of the parents of the PS79M students neither have the time nor the money to 
provide this for their children. In school, therapy is only available twice a week, which is 
adequate but nowhere near ideal. Our task, therefore, is to improve the students’ quality 
of life within the school by creating an environment that provides therapy and builds 
prevocational skills that will be invaluable to the students upon graduation. Our group 
provides in this report computer models of plants, cost estimates, activities lists, and 
purchasing schedules. We have collaborated with the school’s therapists, the parents of 
Lauren Schwartz, members of the Rusk Institute, and the other teams to produce a 
comprehensive list of plants and activities that meets the physical, therapeutic, and 
educational needs of every student and is easy to implement and maintain for the school. 
The greenhouse must be an active and usable educational and therapeutic environment, 
so we chose potted plants, which are robust in their ability to survive and the variety of 
activities that they provide. One main aspect of the design is our use of pots rather than 
plant beds to allow students to bring the plant of their choice to a central table to work on 
activities in groups ranging from transplanting and pruning to drying leaves. That way, 
the greenhouse can also foster a social environment. The main varieties of potted plants 
we have recommended are common houseplants and flowers that have attractive and 
varied foliage, have health benefits such as filtering the air, and have the ability to thrive 
under the care of the children and provide rewarding gardening experiences which are 
therapeutic in their own right. Such plants include Begonias, Dracaenas, Chinese 
Evergreens, Norfolk Island pines, and Snapdragons. We will also provide a potted herb 
garden with some vegetables for more varies activities involving sensory stimulation that 
cater to students with more limited abilities to physically handle plants. For the aesthetics 
of the greenhouse, we recommend the use of hanging plants, which can also be used for 
hydroponic growth activities for students who cannot work with soil. Ficus trees can be 
placed in large pots on ground level to provide natural barriers to different areas of the 
greenhouse. Such trees are easy to maintain and can be moved when necessary. This 
design is extremely realistic and can meet the needs of the students and the school while 
providing a model from which other schools attempting similar projects can draw. 
-3-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-4- 
Section 2: Project Description 
Description of Gateway Course and Service-Learning Program 
The Gateway Lab course was created by Professor McGourty to teach first year students 
the value of being an engineer, while providing members of the community with services 
that they would otherwise be unable to afford. Before the creation of this course, 
engineering students had to wait until their junior or senior years to receive real design 
experience characteristic of the engineering profession. Gateway not only provides 
lessons on engineering, the design process, Maya, and MALAB, but also provides 
students with a real project to work on. Each semester, a new set of students tackle the 
community project that is given to them. Sometimes, they are handed a partially 
completed project or a completely new project. The projects are always aimed at helping 
community partners of Columbia University and, as a result, the students receive 
feedback and must work hard to meet the needs of the clients. The course provides a 
realistic experience because the clients really rely on the work of the students and the 
final design must meet the client’s needs well. The Gateway Lab class section 3 in the 
fall of 2006 was given a project started over the summer. This class was given the task of 
completing a therapeutic greenhouse for the school PS79M. The Gateway course has 
provided these students with design lessons and the necessary background knowledge to 
complete the task for the client. 
Description of Team’s Organization 
The class was broken down into teams that covered separate parts of the greenhouse. 
Certain major tasks for the greenhouse were given to more than one team. For example, 
the Interior Design team has their own license to provide a design, but they must make 
their own design fit with the water irrigation team’s. Our team was assigned the task of 
complete the design for the Interior and Exterior Landscaping, and Horticulture. 
Once our group was assigned, we divided the team roles. Ini volunteered for the role of 
primary facilitator. She understands the time, effort, and commitment it takes for this role 
and has agreed to provide it. She sends e-mails after every meeting to remind the group 
of the objectives and what needs to be prepared for meetings, in addition to setting the 
deadlines for work to be submitted to her for revision. She has set doable standards, and 
makes sure every team member does his or her job, and she has been a key person 
ensuring that all the work our team submits is revised and complete. 
Eugene has agreed to take on the role of secondary facilitator. His previous experiences 
in leadership provide him the skills to help Ini keep the group focused on the task at hand. 
He understands that his job is to help Ini with her responsibilities, keep the group focused 
at meetings, and help set the agenda for meetings.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Kevin was chosen as conflict manager because of his natural tendency to listen and think 
carefully before acting. The team felt that these skills were essential to a conflict manager 
because in the event of conflict, rash action can exacerbate rather than ameliorate the 
situation. However, by listening carefully, a conflict manager can discover the true root 
of the conflict, and then act carefully to eliminate the foundation of the conflict, rather 
than merely cover up a conflict. 
Mike agreed to take on the role of being the group’s process observer. His role is to sit 
back at times and watch how each individual interacts with each other. Since he has to 
observe the member’s interactions, he also acts as the group scribe. By jotting down what 
each individual says, he can also focus on his or her behavior. In addition to watching 
individuals, he also has to watch the group as a whole to make sure all members stay 
professional and efficient. 
Jason volunteered for the position of time keeper. He plans on making sure the group 
does not stay in meetings for longer than an hour and thirty minutes. The group has set 
this amount of time as a limit because the group has decided that passed that time we will 
no longer be efficient. If our time working with the group in one sitting exceeds this, each 
individual’s willingness to stay on task will be greatly decreased, and it will be more 
difficult for the group as a whole to work together efficiently and cooperatively. The 
Time Keeper will work with the Secondary Facilitator, in addition to the Process 
Observer, to keep the group on task and to make sure the group is using the time 
efficiently. 
Description of Community Partner 
PS 79 is a separate public facility for students with mental and physical disabilities. They 
provide all the therapy they can afford to give. The students here are watched during the 
day and taught certain basic skills. The school continues to teach the children until they 
are 21 years of age. According to the assistant principal of the school, the students are 
split up into two types of disabilities: those who can function normally physically, but are 
disabled cognitively, and those who have severe physical impairments that require the 
use of a wheelchair. 
After their daughter passed way, the parents of Lauren Schwartz proposed the idea to 
build the greenhouse. Lauren Schwartz attended daily physical therapy at the Rusk 
Institute. Her parents saw firsthand the positive influences horticulture therapy had on 
handicapped children. The Rusk Institute, part of New York University, is “the largest 
university-affiliated center devoted entirely to inpatient/outpatient care, research and 
training in rehabilitative medicine.” The therapists there use horticulture as part of their 
physical therapy. After Lauren passed away, her parents wished to create a memorial for 
her in the form of a greenhouse. They wished for the students at Lauren’s school to 
benefit from horticulture therapy as she did. 
-5-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
There was a team who worked on our project in the summer although they were 
responsible for interior design as well which has been delegated to a separate team this 
term. These students were high school students who attended a shortened version of the 
Gateway Lab course. They completed preliminary research and had just moved on to 
product design. They provided recommendations that were based primarily on the 
therapeutic nature of plants but not on the functional needs of the greenhouse. They also 
did not provide written explanations for how they arrived at their conclusions or why they 
chose the particular plants they did. As a result, many of the recommendations in their 
report are not plausible to implement or easy to understand. 
Description of Presented Problem 
Our preliminary understanding of the problem stemmed from research we conducted in 
preparation for speaking to the school and parents of Lauren Schwartz. Around the end of 
the 18th century, therapeutic horticulture treatment was started. Dr. Benjamin Rush, 
professor at the Institute of Medicine and Clinical Practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
announced in 1798 that field labor on a farm helped people with mental illnesses. From 
there on, various forms of horticulture sprang up. No major strides were made in 
horticulture therapy as a treatment until 1879; Friends Hospital installed the first 
greenhouse solely for therapeutic purposes. However, the biggest growth of interest and 
research began during WWII when injured soldiers were given horticulture treatment. 
Since horticulture therapy can improve the quality of the life for the students at PS 79M, 
it is important to understand its benefits and how it works. Unfortunately there is no 
definite answer as to why horticulture therapy works. There is the theory that it soothes 
students in a relaxing environment because any environment surrounded by plants is 
guaranteed to be less stimulating than our modern environment. In other words, standing 
in the middle of a park causes far less visual and auditory stress than standing in the 
middle of the city. Another theory is that since we evolved with plants we have an 
unlearned habit of relieving the stress in our body around them. In any case, either theory 
(although there are many more than just 2, the point is the same) allows for any kind of 
plant to be used in horticulture therapy. 
In light of this brief information to horticulture therapy, we can understand better how the 
greenhouse should function. The students of PS 79 are mentally and physically 
handicapped. The amount of stress this places on the student is unimaginable. We hope, 
based on research that students who work with the plants will have less stress. In order 
for the greenhouse to be effective, outside distractions will need to be minimized. Sounds, 
smells, even sight needs to be shut out. The greenhouse should act as a shelter for peace. 
The plants selected will give the students the feeling that they have accomplished 
something and at the same time give their minds a peaceful activity on which to dwell. 
After the first community partner meeting, we gained a clearer understanding of our 
client’s problem and began formulating possible solutions. We found that the basic 
purpose of the greenhouse is to provide a therapeutic space, which the students would 
enter during a particular class period. The students, however, should be active 
-6-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
participants in the operation of the greenhouse, which means that the plants must be able 
to be cultivated by the students. Our understanding of the problem had changed from the 
summer team idea of focusing primarily on plants that would provide sensory therapy to 
a focus on usable and durable plants. Due to the nature of the disabilities of the students, 
however, the plants and therapeutic activities need have to be varied. According to the 
assistant principal of the school, the students are split up into two types of disabilities: 
those who can function normally physically, but are disabled cognitively, and those who 
have severe physical impairments that require the use of a wheelchair. One of the largest 
problems that would arise from this stark contrast of disabilities is need to cater to all of 
the different kinds of students in one class period without alienating some of them. 
Though one student could, for instance, maintain a more complex and fragile plant, 
another student could only be able to handle a very sturdy and robust plant. For the more 
physically advanced student, dealing with more robust plants could be rather dull or 
unchallenging. It would be difficult to challenge those with a larger range of motor 
abilities and to also allow those with impaired motor abilities to do the same or similar 
activities. Another problem that our Horticulture team realized needed to be considered 
after the client meeting was the wide variety of allergies the students may have. Because 
of their physical condition, the students are more prone to such environmental factors, 
and having a certain type of plant in the greenhouse that they are allergic to could be 
devastating to the condition of their health. 
We gained further insight into the problem by speaking to the Rusk institute to gain 
insight into how they organize plants in their greenhouse and conducted activities. We 
learned that the problem also involved building a social environment and prevocational 
skills such as working in groups and following sets of instructions. Rusk solved this 
problem by keeping plants in pots that can be easily transported to central work areas. 
That way, students can pick the plants they want to handle and easily move them to an 
area with other people. After speaking to the parents of Lauren Schwartz, we saw that 
they approved of our main design decisions. Taking into account these new areas of the 
problem that involved having functional plants and a setup that allowed students to work 
together easily, we developed the final problem statement, which can be found below. 
Formal Problem Statement 
The parents of Lauren Schwartz have provided funding for the school PS79M to build a 
greenhouse that will commemorate their daughter and provide the students of the school 
with the same opportunities that she had. Lauren, unlike most of the other students at the 
school, had regular therapy, both at the Rusk institute and at her own home; however, the 
majority of the parents of the PS79M students have neither the time nor the money to 
provide this to their children. In school, therapy is only available twice a week, which is 
adequate but nowhere near ideal. Our task, therefore, is to improve the students’ quality 
of life within the school by creating an environment that provides therapy and builds 
prevocational skills that will be invaluable to the students upon graduation. The 
particular problem our group must tackle is to choose which plants we want to place in 
the greenhouse in order to address the wide range of specific disabilities of the students, 
-7-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
while providing a social, therapeutic, and educational environment. 
Our solution must provide a list of plants, which are easy to maintain by the students and 
faculty. In addition, these plants must also be used in activities that bring students with a 
wide range of physical and mental disabilities together in a social environment. These 
activities can also be group-oriented. These activities must also develop prevocational 
skills so the students can be more viable candidates for the job market upon graduation. 
Plants must therefore be robust enough to withstand daily handling by the students and 
grow successfully to give the students a rewarding experience. We must also provide 
some plants that provide olfactory, tactile, and/or visual stimulation for students who 
have limited to no ability to actively cultivate plants due to physical handicaps. 
Narrative Description of Functional Requirements and Constraints 
The Product Design Specifications begins with establishing the needs that our design 
must fulfill, including daily therapy; a social environment; and a place to develop 
prevocational skills. Plants must not only be varied enough to allow participation from 
students with vastly different physical and mental abilities, but the activities must also 
bring those students together and cultivate teamwork as well as the ability to work in 
groups. These needs provide a base criterion on which later requirements can be judged. 
Most of the PDS outlines the functional requirements of the plants and activities using the 
following criteria: Functional Performance, Safety, Quality, Manufacturing, Timing, 
Economic, Ergonomic, Ecological, Aesthetic, and Life Cycle. The functional 
performance of the plants must include year-round therapeutic activity that may also 
build gardening skills, which can be used by students upon graduation. The plants must 
be distributed to allow all students to participate in those activities and robust enough to 
provide an easily maintainable population that survives in static room temperature 
environment. Plants with varying life cycles such as blooming and planting cycles will 
provide a dynamic year-round calendar of student activity. Since students have 
unpredictable allergies that change from year to year, plants cannot be commonly allergic 
or poisonous. Even though there is no set cost limit to the project, in order to make the 
design easily maintainable for the school and accessible to others who may wish to 
duplicate the design, our choice of plants will be common, low maintenance, low cost, 
houseplants, which are visually attractive and meet the functional needs of the students. 
Large pots with Ficus trees on ground level can provide aesthetics that are easily 
maintained and mobile. 
The last section of the PDS deals with Corporate Constraints. We know that the school 
would like to start construction in the summer of 2007, so we need to provide a design 
with plants that can be acquired in large quantities by then and fully grown. We feel that 
building a relationship with a supplier is very important for the PS79M, so we will make 
several recommendations and suggest that one is chosen and used throughout the year. 
An alternative solution could be to use one supplier for each period of purchasing. This 
solution could be desirable if there is particular advantage to purchasing seasonal plants 
-8-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
from one supplier at a particular time. We must make sure that our design conforms to 
all ADA and public school requirements. We do not feel that any of our ideas warrant 
consideration for a patent since one of the strengths of our design is the use of 
conventional and realistic ideas based on the given the high level of development and 
success in the world of greenhouses and horticulture therapy. 
-9- 
Description of Evolution of Design 
Defining the Problem 
PS 79 is primarily for students of handicapped nature. They provide all the therapy they 
can afford to give. The students here are watched during the day and taught some basic 
skills. The school takes the children up to when they are 21 of age. According to the 
assistant principal of the school, the students are split up into two types of disabilities: 
those who can function normally physically, but are disabled cognitively, and those who 
have severe physical impairments that require the use of a wheelchair. 
The parents of Lauren Schwartz have decided to fund the building of a greenhouse for the 
students at PS79M. Their vision of the greenhouse is not only to commemorate their 
daughter, but also to provide the students of PS79M, the school she attended, with the 
same opportunities that she had. Lauren, unlike most of the other students at the school, 
had regular therapy, both at the Rusk institute and at her own home. However, the 
majority of the parents of the PS79M students have neither the time nor the money to 
provide this to their children. In school, therapy is only available twice a week, which is 
adequate but nowhere near ideal. The goal, therefore, is to improve the students’ quality 
of life within the school by creating an environment that provides therapy through 
horticulture and aesthetics. The particular problem our group must tackle is to choose 
which plants we want to place in the greenhouse in order to address the wide range of 
specific disabilities of the students, while providing a social and therapeutic environment. 
Horticulture offers a great way for the kids to receive the therapy they need. The students, 
however, are so varied in the types and severity of the disabilities they have, that one of 
the largest problems we must address is the need to cater to all of the different kinds of 
students in an inclusive way. Another issue that our team considered was the wide 
variety of allergies the students may have. Because of their physical condition, the 
students are more prone to such environmental factors, and having a certain type of plant 
in the greenhouse that they are allergic to could be devastating to the condition of their 
health. Our solution must actively address and attempt to solve these problems. 
Formulating Solutions 
Initially, our team analyzed the work of the summer horticultural team. The summer 
team’s solution was to maximize the therapeutic properties of each plant by grouping 
them into the following therapy categories: visual, olfactory, tactile, and taste. In the
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
greenhouse, the summer team planned to group plants of the same therapeutic property in 
the same area in order to create several sensory stimulation stations. These stations 
would consist of plant beds, where students could work with the plants. Our team 
initially felt that the summer team had a very good plan, and our early efforts focused on 
expanding this plan and working out the intricate details. 
However, our team began to doubt the effectiveness of the summer team’s plan when one 
our team members, while researching disability therapy, discovered that disabled students 
received much more therapy from working together in a group than from actual sensory 
stimulation. Our doubts were verified when we met with therapists from The Rusk 
Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. The therapists strongly emphasized the importance 
of learning how to work in groups, since this would be an essential life lesson that the 
students would take with them after leaving the school. On the contrary, when our team 
mentioned purely aesthetic plants, the Rusk therapists felt that hardy plants that the 
students could directly work with would better replace such plants. 
These findings drastically changed our plans. Our team completely abandoned the idea 
of therapeutic stations and plant beds. Instead, we decided a central work area would be 
the most functional plan. With a central workstation, several students would be grouped 
together. Since they would not always be able to directly ask a teacher or aid across the 
table, students would be forced to ask each other for help, developing group work 
abilities in the process. In addition, instead of placing plants in plant beds, our team 
decided to place most functional plants in pots. This would allow students to choose a 
plant to work on, and then bring the plant to the central work area. Finally, in terms of 
plant selection, we decided to choose robust plants that would be able to handle a variety 
of conditions, including minor mistreatment. Our finalized plan allowed students to gain 
the most therapy by developing group work abilities through interaction with other 
students. Aesthetic concerns could be met with hardy hanging plants and large pots on 
ground level with Ficus trees which are again easy to maintain and visually pleasing. 
-10- 
Developing Models/Prototypes 
We learned from our Maya instructor, Jose, how to incorporate plants into Maya. We 
collaborated our design with the interior design team and created a preliminary 3- 
Dimensional design of what the final greenhouse will look like. The distribution of the 
plants is not extremely important because the plants are in pots and not plant beds, so 
each individual plant is mobile and can be placed in any arrangement. 
Implementing, Testing, Modifying, and Presenting the Final Design 
We realized throughout the semester that in order to implement our design, the school 
would need more information than just details on buying and maintaining plants. Initially, 
we felt that the school would only need a list of plants and materials to order and a 
supplier in order to implement our design. However, as our research became more
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
detailed, we realized that the problem was much more complex. Providing a plant list 
was not a very simple task. In order to develop a methodology for choosing plants, we 
needed to choose plant attributes that would be most beneficial for the client. This was 
rather difficult because there were several plant attributes that tended to the clients’ needs, 
such as light, soil, durability, and sensory therapeutic value. Therefore, our team needed 
to develop a method to prioritize these qualities. Ultimately, we realized that it was more 
important for the greenhouse to be an active, usable place with plants that could be 
successfully cultivated by the students than a traditionally therapeutic space with 
expensive, exotic plants that could not be actively used by the students. Although 
providing a plant list was difficult, we realized that we could not simply produce a 
plant/material list and a vendor for the client. In order for the client to select among the 
plants from the plant list, we would need to provide recommendations for each plant. 
This involved much more detailed research and analysis. Finally, our team realized that 
the school would need an idea of what to do with the plants they have, so we decided to 
include a list of plant activities. 
Although we did not need to test our design, we did need to modify it greatly. A 
description of the evolution of our modifications is in the Formulating Solutions part of 
this report. In terms of presenting our design, we changed our presentation format for the 
final presentation. During the midterm presentation, we went into excessive detail of the 
problem and the restrictions on our solution. This took a large portion of the midterm 
presentation, which left only a little time to present our solution. However, for the final 
presentation, we decided to define the problem statement and our restrictions, and then 
use most of the time to explain our solution. In this part of the presentation, we would 
discuss our plant list, activities list, and a quick cost analysis. In addition, we decided to 
enhance our presentation by including a few live samples of recommended plants and a 
demonstration of a recommended activity. Our final presentation would give the client 
the most applicable information of our detailed design. 
-11-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Section 3: Transition Plan and Project Documentation 
Connection to Prior Work and Expansion of Solution 
Our work was linked to the work of the summer team, who were the first group to 
contribute to this project. They seemed to focus on a large variety of plants, with several 
groups for stimulation of each of the senses. A list of specific plants was also included, 
each with a brief description. While this was informative, a major flaw of the summer 
group is that their choices were not explained; though it was logical to provide sensory 
stimulation, our team soon realized that this was not necessarily the most critical issue. 
And while the list of plants was well compiled, it completely failed to address any 
problems that could arise from the students being disabled, such as allergies, and while 
oversensitivity and under sensitivity were mentioned, the plant choices did not reflect an 
understanding and taking into account of these disabilities. Also, the summer team’s 
work did not offer any explanations as to why particular plants were chosen: all that was 
given were various categories that explained which of the five senses the plant was 
geared towards. 
Future teams should focus on plant activities that would benefit students and more 
investigation into plant vendors. While places like Rusk institute use large plant vendors 
with huge varieties like Angel plants, this may not necessarily be the best solution for the 
school’s greenhouse. Our team has recommended Angel plants, but we also discovered 
that smaller plant vendors, and perhaps even farmer’s markets, offer enough variety and 
expertise to be acceptable. The school may find these local, small vendors more 
convenient to restock their supply of plants. 
Documentation for Duplication of Process 
Our team gained much insight from speaking to experts who deal with similar problems 
and horticulture on a daily basis, so duplicating and continuing our process would require 
continued communication with those people. At this point in the design phase, it is 
important to consider activities for the students above the plant types. After talking to 
Rusk institute as well as independent therapists, we discovered that students with 
disabilities such as those in PS 79 would gain more from group activities with generic, 
hardy plants, rather that focusing on various types of sensory stimulations that can be 
gained from certain plant types. Also, we urge any continuing teams to look more into 
different plant vendors. As stated in the upper section, the Rusk institute use large plant 
vendors, but this may not necessarily be the best solution for the greenhouse. We found 
the BBC gardening website particularly useful in filtering types of plants based on 
characteristics such as hardiness, light value, aesthetics, and soil pH. That site could be 
used to check on plant suggestions from smaller vendors if they do not have the same 
plants that we have recommended in the appendices. 
-12-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Documentation for Use and Maintenance of Solution 
To maintain the greenhouse, some basic knowledge of gardening is needed beyond 
simply watering the plants. Soil must be prepared. The indoor soils can be made from 1/3 
top soil, 1/3 sand, 1/3 leaf compost. Do not use outdoors soil unless it has been 
pasteurized. Also, avoid the prepackaged potting soils that can be bought. If buying 
prepackaged soil is a must, then check the ingredients. Use peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, 
or sand to make the soil more suitable. Peat moss gives the soil more organic content, 
keeping the soil loose around the roots and also keeps the moisture in the soil. Perlite 
makes the soil more porous letting the air get in and breath, keeping the soil fresh. 
Vermiculite also retains moisture. Sand lets the water circulate freely. 
There are also some synthetic mixes that are available now in stores. They offer 
advantages such as uniformity, lightness, no weeks or organisms, easy to buy, and simple 
to store. However the disadvantages are the plants become top heavy sometimes since the 
soil is so light, a regular fertilizing program must be held since the soil is not natural. 
These problems can be solved with a few simple solutions: weighing down the soil with 
water and using an all purpose and slow releasing fertilizers. 
Water is very precious to the plants. The plants use the water to absorb the nutrients. Just 
enough water will create a solution with the nutrients so the plant can take up its “veins” 
and store the food. Too much water will push the oxygen out of the plant. See Appendix 
Fd for basic guidelines to watering. 
Fertilizers are needed to supplement the nutrients that the plant needs. It contains 
elements such as nitrogen that renew the soil. Fertilizers come in either organic or non-organic 
states. When it is cold, inorganic fertilizers must be used because organic 
fertilizers require a temperature over 60 degrees F. General organic fertilizers are animal 
manures or wood ashes. 
Light is the most important factor in the growing process and the one that is least likely to 
be controlled. Light is the source for growth. It provides energy for the photosynthesis 
that takes place in the plant. There are three categories of plants, ones that require longer 
daylight, shorter daylights, and those that are indifferent. See appendix for guidelines. 
Another factor is the temperature. Like the light, plants can be grouped into three 
categories: Warm, Temperate and Cool; however, almost every plant we have 
recommended will thrive under the temperate conditions of the greenhouse. Warm is 80- 
85, temperate is 65-70, and cool is 55-60. See Appendix Fd for temperature guidelines. 
For further information on the care of the plants, see Appendix Fd. The recommended 
plant arrangement in the Greenhouse can be found in Maya sketches throughout the 
report and in Appendix C. Many of those details are only relevant for trees since pots can 
be easily moved. Information regarding how often plants should be watered and when 
they need soil replacement can be found in Appendix Fd. Activities can be found in 
-13-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Fa. Weeds should immediately be removed if noticed, although this is unlikely 
because the plants are grown in pots. It may also be necessary to cut branches of any trees 
if they grow out too far, as well as trim any hanging plants if they grow down too low. 
For additional instruction on particular plants, contact a preferred Vendor such as Angel 
Plants. All information pertaining to how many plants should be purchased can also be 
found in Appendix D along with materials list and cost estimations based on 
recommendations. 
Pictures, Diagrams, Technical Drawings, etc… 
All necessary pictures, diagrams, and technical drawings can be found in Appendix C. 
-14-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Section 4: Conclusions and Recommendations 
The greenhouse must be an active and usable educational and therapeutic environment, 
so we chose potted plants, which are robust in their ability to survive and the variety of 
activities that they provide. One main aspect of the design is our use of pots rather than 
plant beds to allow students to bring the plant of their choice to a central table to work on 
activities in groups ranging from transplanting and pruning to drying leaves. That way, 
the greenhouse can also foster a social environment. The main varieties of potted plants 
we have recommended are Begonias, Dracaenas, Chinese Evergreens, and Norfolk Island 
pines. These plants are common houseplants that have attractive, varied foliage, have 
health benefits such as filtering the air, and will thrive under the care of the children and 
provide rewarding gardening experiences which are therapeutic in their own right. 
We will also provide a potted herb and vegetable garden as well as several varieties of 
flowers for aesthetics and activities involving sensory stimulation that cater to students 
with more limited abilities to physically handle plants. Appendix F contains a list of 
various activities and the plants they involve ranging from drying leaves to seasonal 
decorations that we recommend for the school. The flowers we have chosen are fairly 
low maintenance and low cost, but still aesthetically pleasing and can provide visual and 
aroma therapy. Some of the varieties are Snapdragons, Peonies, and Marigolds. We 
recommend the use of Pothos and spider plants to hang in pots above the storage and 
work areas for aesthetic decoration but also because they can be used in hydroponic 
growth activities for students who cannot work with soil. We also recommend the use 
Ficus trees in large pots placed on ground level to provide natural barriers to different 
areas of the greenhouse as opposed to having expensive permanent hedges. Such trees 
are easy to maintain and can be moved when necessary. 
Our estimated total cost ranges from $3233.48 for a barebones solution to $7746.82 for a 
dream solution.. It is derived from the interior design specifications for counter space, 
and our recommendations for supplies and tools. We have assumed room for 
approximately 250 total plants with a total plant cost ranging from $2650.00 to $6280.00. 
The wide range in these costs is due to the large difference in price between sizes of 
plants and some differences among materials costs. The estimated recommended cost is 
$5346.35. Our recommended vendor is Angel Plants on long island due to their vast 
supply and convenience. Their inventory can be found in Appendix Fe. Many of the 
plants we have chosen do not require soil replacement or fertilizer on a regular basis, so 
the costs we have provided are for the initial purchase. Replacement costs will depend on 
price of each bag of soil and the annual plants that the school will need to replace, but 
they must be ordered based on the needs of the school as they see throughout the year. 
Due to the simple and conventional nature of our design, PS79 can easily follow our 
recommendations and provide an environment that meets their needs and the needs of the 
students while providing a model from which other schools attempting similar projects 
can draw. 
-15-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-16- 
Section 5: Appendices 
Appendix A: Product Design Specifications 
Product Title 
Horticulture and interior landscaping for PS 79M greenhouse 
Purpose 
To provide a therapeutic, aesthetic, and educational environment with plants that can be 
cultivated by the students at PS 79M. 
Special Features 
• Potting benches that will be wheelchair accessible. 
• Activities for students with limited or no ability to use their hands. 
Need for Product 
• Many parents cannot afford to provide daily therapy for their children, so the 
greenhouse would provide free supplementary therapy. 
• Having the opportunity to work in a new environment with plants on a daily basis 
will reduce stress and provide a more pleasant school environment. 
• Many students rely on school to provide their only social interaction with other 
students. The greenhouse will aid in developing that social environment by 
allowing students to work in groups. 
• Many of the students will have difficulty obtaining employment after graduation; 
through group projects in the greenhouse, students will develop the ability to 
work in groups, follow a specific set of instructions, and produce a final product 
• All of these prevocational skills will make the students more viable job candidates. 
• Some students will benefit specifically by gaining horticulture skills in the 
greenhouse which may be immediately used in the gardening industry upon 
graduation 
Functional Performance 
• The greenhouse will be the location of daily classes throughout the year, so at all 
times of the year plants must be available for cultivation and other handling. 
• Plant distribution must be limited to the space designated by the interior design 
team and be organized in such a way as to allow all of the students present during 
a given class period to be occupied. From their numbers we estimate 
approximately 300 potted plants and three to five large pots for trees. 
• Plants will be used frequently and possibly handled roughly, so plants must be 
robust enough to withstand abuse. 
• The plants chosen must provide therapy through sensory stimulation and hands-on 
activity. 
Safety 
• No poisonous or commonly allergic plants can be present given that students will 
be handling the plants daily and may attempt to ingest them. 
• Plants should be labeled properly if they have dangerous thorns or needles.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-17- 
Quality 
• We will provide plant descriptions to the safety and signage team so that they can 
provide educational material and fulfill an important requirement for the 
greenhouse. 
• Plants must be resistant to disease to minimize maintenance difficulties for the 
school. 
• There must be a base population of plants that germinate easily and require 
minimal maintenance to prevent deterioration of the greenhouse environment 
during times when the school may not be able to provide proper maintenance. 
The reasons for this situation could be insufficient funding or a learning period 
when the students are still developing proper maintenance skills. 
Manufacturing 
• Reliable suppliers must be chosen so that the school can replenish their supply of 
plants and soil as needed. 
• If the school builds a relationship with a particular supplier, they may be able to 
have discounts in future purchases. 
• Angel Plants, Rusk Institute’s current supplier, is a possible supplier for PS 79M, 
since it has experience with therapeutic plants and is based in Long Island. 
Timing 
• Due to the time and space requirements of the greenhouse, most of the plants 
cannot start as seeds but rather as seedlings. 
• The school must balance future purchases of seeds and bulbs vs. seedlings to meet 
the financial needs of the school, the functional needs of the school, and the 
therapeutic needs of the students. 
• We will provide a calendar of seasonal plant activities which is linked with a 
purchasing schedule with the appropriate types and quantity of plants to purchase. 
Economic 
• Fertilizer can be bought, developed from compost, or a combination of the two. 
Although compost would save fertilizer cost, there will be greater initial costs for 
the compost method 
• Because the greenhouse is meant for long-term use, compost is recommended 
because it would save money in the future and would provide an additional 
activity for the students. 
• High quality gloves and pots could be bought at a higher cost, but they will need a 
storage place and must be replaced if lost. Disposable gloves and cheap pots 
would cost much less, but they would need to be replaced yearly. 
• Disposable gloves are recommended because they will not need to be stored or 
cleaned. More durable pots are recommended because they will be used 
constantly for planting, so they must be able to withstand several uses. 
• Choosing plants that require multiple soil pH levels would necessitate the 
purchase of three different types of soil by the school. That cost could be avoided 
if all of the plants can grow in neutral soil.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
• Plants themselves should be as low cost as possible while still providing the 
functional needs of the greenhouse so that the design is more accessible to others 
and the students learn more practical skills involving common houseplants. 
• Estimated Total Cost Range: $3233.48 - $7746.82 
• Recommended Cost of Plants: $4460 
-18- 
Ergonomic 
• The plants must serve the wide range of physical and mental abilities of the 
students and provide therapeutic aesthetics and sensory stimulation. 
• Some students have developed tactile skills and will be able to cultivate plants in 
pots and on ground level, whereas other students are confined to wheel chairs and 
may only be able to touch and smell the plants in a specific position. We must 
have plants that can be grown in pots and on ground level with varying degrees of 
robustness to allow students with varying degrees of physical ability to have 
experience nurturing the plants. 
• The greenhouse must also contain plants that serve the needs of students who 
have limited or no ability to cultivate the plants such as flowers or herbs with 
therapeutic aromas and textures. 
• Bulbs and seeds must be purchased at the appropriate seasonal time, so students 
can plant them and see them successfully grow. 
• A population of plants must be available for transplanting and arranging at all 
times, so merely having a supply of seeds will be inadequate. 
• Since the students have allergies that change with the population of the student 
body, no commonly allergic plants will be placed in the greenhouse. 
• Since some students may be allergic to soil, plants must be available which can be 
propagated and grown hydroponically. 
• Some activities must reflect those that occur in the gardening and landscaping 
industry so that when the students graduate, they can apply the skills they have 
learned immediately in the work environment. 
• No plants can be poisonous because students will be working with them 
constantly. 
Ecological 
• Plants should all be able to survive at room temperature and the humidity of the 
greenhouse that is decided by the ventilation team. The temperature will not vary 
with seasons because the Greenhouse must always be a comfortable environment 
for the students. 
• In addition to survival, plants must be chosen which bloom and live through 
normal lifecycles at that static temperature and humidity. 
Aesthetic 
• The school has requested that aesthetic plants be placed on the security fence so it 
is less conspicuous. We will meet that need with varieties of Ivy which can be 
found in Appendix Dc.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
• We will use varieties of Ficus tree in large pots on the ground to provide aesthetic 
barriers between different parts of the greenhouse as partitioned by the interior 
design and accessibility team 
• A variety of robust hanging plants will be recommended to provide the students 
with an atmosphere surrounded by plants, which can also be taken down by 
faculty and used in transplanting and hydroponic activities. 
• Other aesthetic plants such as highly ornamental flowers which require high 
levels of maintenance and are expensive are not recommended since it violates the 
primary practical and economic needs of the school. It also would make the 
design inaccessible to future schools that would like to use this design as a model 
for their own. 
• Most of the general potted plants will have foliage that is attractive enough to 
provide a strikingly different environment than that to which the students are 
accustomed. 
-19- 
Life Cycle 
• There should be a mixture of plants that grow year round and those that require 
seasonal planting. That will allow for a plant population that provides a static 
environment that can be maintained with low costs and another population which 
changes seasonally to provide changing aesthetics and activities for the students. 
• The plants must have staggered blooming/cultivation schedules to provide 
seasonally varying activities for the students. 
• A compost heap may be desirable to recycle plants which die seasonally. This 
would decrease maintenance costs of both dead plants and newly growing plants. 
• We will refrain from placing plants outside except robust ones that may grow on 
the security fence due to the inconvenience associated with maintenance and the 
inability of plants to survive year round in the NYC climate 
Corporate Constraints 
• The project timeline has a completion goal within 2007, so any plants chosen 
would have to be available in large enough quantities by that time. 
• Since the greenhouse must be functional by that time, it must contain some full 
grown plants and not just seedlings or seeds. 
• The school should choose one supplier and build a reliable relationship with them 
even for convenience even if other suppliers may temporarily have better prices. 
Social, Political, and Legal Considerations 
o All of our designs must comply with the ADA regulations 
o All of our designs must comply with public school regulations
Appendix B: Gantt Chart 
Work Duration 
Project Schedule for Greenhouse 90 hrs 61 Days 
Initiating (Week 1) 2 hrs 6 days 
Preliminary Project Initiation (Week 1) 2 hrs 6 days 
Determine Team Roles 0.5 hrs 6 days 
Determine Future Meetings 0.5 hrs 6 days 
Determine Set Meeting Place 0.5 hrs 6 days 
Obtain Contact Information from members 0.5 hrs 6 days 
Planning/Background Information (Week 2-5) 24 hrs 17 days 
Basic Project Understanding (Week 2-3) 8.5 hrs 6 days 
Research Previous Greenhouses 2 hrs 6 days 
Research Indoor and Outdoor Plants 2 hrs 6 days 
Determine Size of Land and Greenhouse 1 hr 6 days 
Design Potential Exterior Landscaping 3 hrs 6 days 
Consider Previous Designs by summer Gateway group .5 hrs 6 days 
Define Project in-depth (Week 3-5) 15.5 hrs 11 days 
Meet with clients (teachers and students of school) 3 hrs 11 days 
Narrow Down Possibilities of Types of Plants 3 hrs 11 days 
Consider Types of Nutrients and Soils Required 3 hrs 11 days 
Decide on Potential Exterior Landscaping 3 hrs 11 days 
Collaborate with Other Groups on Interior Landscaping Design 3.5 hrs 11 days 
Project Initiation (Week 4-6) 27 hrs 11 days 
Define Parameters/Specifications for Interior and Exterior Landscape 4 hrs 11 days 
Decide Upon Types of Plants for Interior and Exterior 4 hrs 11 days 
Determine Fertilizers and Nutrients Needed 4 hrs 11 days 
Determine Other Supplies Needed for Plants 4 hrs 11 days 
Determine Possible Venders 5 hrs 11 days 
Preliminary Cost Analysis 2 hrs 11 days 
Preliminary Design for Landscaping 4 hrs 11 days 
Client Presentation/Design Check (Week 6) 3 hrs 1 day 
In-Depth Project Design (Week 6-9) 17 hrs 16 days 
Refine Design Post-Client Presentation 5 hrs 14 days 
3-D Modeling of Landscapes 4 hrs 14 days 
Final Analysis of Plants 3 hrs 14 days 
Final Analysis of Materials Used for Interior and Exterior Landscaping 5 hrs 14 days 
Finalizing Design (Week 9-11) 14 hrs 16 days 
Finalization of 3-D Models 5 hrs 5 days 
Prototype Construction 5 hrs 5 days 
Final Cost Report 4 hrs 5 days 
Final Presentation of Design to Client 3 hrs 1 day 
November December 
Project Schedule for Greenhouse-Horticulture & Exterior and Interior Landscaping 
September October
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix C: Technical Specifications (Maya) 
-21-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-22-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Da: Budget Information and List of Materials 
Tools were found at http://www.hardwareworld.com/Landscaping--Garden-cIRUC14. 
-23- 
aspx 
Plant price approximations were determined from Angel Plants, Inc. costs 
ITEM ESTIMATED 
QUANTITY 
UNIT COST ESTIMATED TOTAL 
COST 
REQUIREMENT/ 
RECOMMENDED/ 
DREAM SOLUTION 
Transplanter 20 $1.88 - $4.52 $37.60 - $90.40 Required 
Cultivator 20 $1.88 - $4.77 $37.60 - $95.40 Required 
Trowel 20 $1.93 - $4.77 $38.60 - $95.40 Recommended 
Bulb Planter 20 $3.57 - $11.21 $71.40 - $224.20 Wish 
Gloves 40 
(can vary 
greatly) 
$2.77 (includes S, M, and L 
sizes) 
$110.80 Required 
(quantity depends on how 
often disposed) 
Plant Food 
(Miracle-Gro) 
8 (40 lb) $10 for 5 lb $80 Required 
Pots (Planters) 16 
12 
8 
4 
6’’: $1.02 
8’’: $1.65 - $1.77 
10’’: $2.61 - $2.70 
12’’: $3.66 - $12.56 
$16.32 
$19.80 - $21.24 
$20.88 - $21.60 
$14.64 - $50.24 
Required 
(plants will most likely 
arrive in pots) 
Hanging Pots 
(Planters) 
8 
4 
10’’: $1.18 - $1.26 
12’’: $2.60 - $2.71 
$9.44 - $10.08 
$10.40 - $10.84 
Required 
(plants will most likely 
arrive in pots) 
Pruners 20 $5 - $10 $100 - $200 Recommended 
Watering Can 10 $4.64 - $5.03 $46.40 - $50.30 Depends on watering 
method 
Potting Soil 10 
(can vary 
greatly) 
$4.10 (16 qt) $41.00 Required 
Compost System1 1 $125 - $349 $125 - $349 Wish 
Large Standing 
Plants 
5 - 7 $30 - $40 $150 - $280 Recommended 
(part of interior design) 
Major Working 
Plants 
150 $10 - $30 
(depends on average sizes 
ordered) 
$1500 - $4500 Required 
(students will take care for 
these plants) 
Other Plants 100 $10 - $15 $1000 - $1500 Recommended 
(students will have 
planned horticulture 
activities with these 
plants) 
OVERALL 
TOTAL RANGE 
$3233.48 - $7746.82 
BAREBONES 
ESTIMATE 
Plants: $2650 
Total: $3233.48 
RECOMMEND 
ED 
Plants: $4460 
Total: $5346.35 
DREAM 
ESTIMATE 
Plants: $6280 
Total: $7746
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
1Several compost systems can be found at this website: 
http://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gardeners- 
Site/default/ViewSimpleSearch2-Start 
-24-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Db: Alphabetized List of All Plants 
-25- 
American Wisteria 
Baby’ breath 
Basil 
Bayberry 
Bittersweet 
Blue Wild Indigo 
Canna 
Chinese Evergreen 
Chinese Lanterns 
Chives 
Chrysanthemum 
Cockscomb 
Cornflower 
Curly Mint 
Docks/Sorrels 
Dusty miller 
Fairy fan-flower 
Ferns 
Gladiolus 
Globe amaranth 
Globe thistle 
Goldenrod 
Grape hyacinth 
Heather 
Honesty 
Hydrangea 
Larkspur 
Lettuce 
Lilac 
Magnolia 
Marigold 
Marjoram/Oregano 
Night-scented stock 
Pansies 
Peony 
Pomegranate 
Pothos 
Queen Anne’s Lace 
Red Edged Dracaena 
Sagebrush/Wormwood 
Salvia 
Snapdragon 
Spider Plant 
Statice 
Strawflower 
Sumac 
Swan river daisy 
Sweet Pea 
Teasel 
Thyme 
Trailing lobelia 
Vine Lilac 
Violas 
Wax Begonia 
Weeping Fig 
Yarrow 
Zinnia
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Dc: Plant Descriptions for Highly Recommended Plants 
POTTED PLANTS 
-26- 
Dracaena 
Genus: Dracaena, Species: marginata 
(commonly known as Madagascar Dragon 
Tree or Red Edged Dracaena) 
Easy to grow, can be in sun or shade, 
attractive foliage, true of most dracaenas, 
this is just one particular species. Tolerant 
to dry soil and irregular watering 
Chinese Evergreen 
Genus: Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen can 
be a common name) 
Flowering tropical plants, about 20 species, 
easy to grow, wide range of light, resistant 
to disease and neglect, variety of leaf types 
between species, prefer partial shade, moist 
soil. Can filter the air. 
Wax Begonia 
Genus: Begonia, Species: semperflorens 
(Commonly known as Wax Begonia) 
Adaptable and forgiving plants, they 
combine a neat, compact habit, attractive 
flowers and foliage, and trouble-free 
cultural requirements. They can yield a 
long season of blooms while growing in 
partial shade.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-27- 
Norfolk Island Pine 
Genus: Araucaria, Species: heterophylla 
(Commonly known as Norfolk Island Pine) 
Norfolk Island Pine enjoy humid 
environments. With age, and lack of 
humidity, the needles along the trunk will 
fall off. Dead, lower branches, are a sign 
that the plant has been dehydrated. The dry 
needles will not come back. These plants 
do best with consistency stay on a watering 
schedule. Over watering results in sporadic 
bright yellow needle clusters that come off 
very easily, and don't come back. 
HANGING PLANTS 
Pothos 
Genus: Epipremnum Species: aureum (commonly 
known as Pothos) 
Very effective at removing indoor pollutants such 
as formaldehyde, xylene, and benzene. Studies 
show that when stimulated with music it gives of a 
sweet scent similar to Chocolate and Vanilla. 
Medium indoor light, grows hydroponically 
(activities can be done with taking cuttings and 
placing them in water for students who can’t work 
with soil). Can tolerate much abuse. 
Spider Plant 
Genus: Chlorophytum Species: comosum 
(commonly known as Spider Plant) 
Effective at removing toxins, can be grown 
hydroponically (same activities as Pothos), can 
thrive in almost any condition.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
LARGE PLANTS (for separating greenhouse areas) 
-28- 
Weeping Fig 
Genus: Ficus Species: benjamina 
(Weeping Fig or Benjamin’s Fig) 
Tolerance to poor growing conditions, 
grows best under bright light but can 
tolerate shade, only requires enough 
watering to prevent drying out, warning: 
drops many leaves when relocated as it 
adapts to new light intensity. Effectively 
removes indoor air toxins according to 
NASA 
VINES FOR FENCE 
American Wisteria 
This plant is terrific because of its beautiful 
blossoms, and easy pruning. However, this 
plant may be mildly aggressive and 
strangle nearby trees. Dormant pruning is 
the best way to maintain this plant, for it 
controls the plant without sacrificing color. 
The person in charge of pruning this plant 
may want to ask t he plant vendor specific 
directions for how to prune it. 
Purple Hardenbergia 
For a hardy, evergreen, twining, woody-stemmed 
climber, the client may want to 
purchase the purple hardenbergia. It has 
dark green leathery leaves and produces a 
mass of dark purple pea flowers.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-29- 
Carolina Yellow Jasmine 
This plant is a nice, fast growing evergreen 
vine with fragrant flowers that bloom 
throughout late winter and early spring. 
Caution! All parts of this plant are 
poisonous.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Dd: Notes on Other Plants 
Plant recommendations were mostly based on hardiness and ease of their maintenance, so 
that all of the plants would be able most likely to survive in any poor conditions or under 
any potential mistreatment. 
Note: general categories of plants such as docks/sorrels and grasses are not detailed here. 
PLANT NAME NOTES RECOMMENDATION 
-30- 
LEVEL 
American Wisteria 
(Wisteria frutescens) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings, 
layering; seeds planted late Spring, 
cuttings taken in early Summer 
NOTE: can take up to 20 years to 
flower from seed 
Medium 
(propagates easily, very 
hardy, but may take long 
time to flower) 
Baby’ breath 
(Gypsophila) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings, root 
division before growth starts; 
divided March to April 
Medium 
(special water preference) 
Basil 
(Ocimum basilicum) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings; 
seeds planted March to May 
Medium 
(special light/soil 
preference, but propagates 
easily) 
Bayberry 
(Myrica) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings; 
seeds planted late Spring/early 
Summer, cuttings taken July/August 
High 
(propagates easily, very 
hardy) 
Bittersweet 
(Celastrus scandens) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings, 
layering; seeds planted February, 
cuttings taken in December, layering 
in August 
High 
(propagates easily, very 
hardy) 
Blue Wild Indigo 
(Baptisia australis) 
Propagation: seeds, division; 
seeds planted late Winter/early 
Spring, divided in Spring 
Low 
(special light/soil 
preference) 
Canna 
(Canna) 
Propagation: seeds, dividing 
rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs; 
seeds planted early Spring, divided 
in Spring 
Low 
(special light/soil 
preference) 
Chinese Evergreen 
(Aglaonema) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings; 
Warning: causes severe pain in the 
mouth if ingested 
Low 
(although it is hardy and 
easily propagated, it can 
cause oral pain) 
Chinese Lanterns 
(Abutilon x 
hybridum) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings; 
seeds planted Spring, cuttings taken 
early Spring 
High 
(blooms repeatedly 
throughout the year)
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
NOTE: Physalis alkekengi is also 
known as Chinese Lantern, but is 
very toxic 
-31- 
Chives 
(Allium 
schoenoprasum) 
Propagation: seeds, dividing 
rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs; 
seeds planted April to May 
Medium 
(special light preference) 
Chrysanthemum 
(Chrysanthemum) 
Propagation: dividing rootball, 
rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs 
Warning: can cause severe skin 
irritation 
Medium 
(special light preference, 
skin irritation) 
Cockscomb 
(Celosia argentea 
var. cristata) 
Propagation: seeds; 
seeds planted early to mid Spring 
Low 
(special light/soil 
preference, only seed 
propagation) 
Cornflower 
(Centaurea cyanus) 
Propagation: seeds; 
seeds planted Spring 
Low 
(special light/soil 
preference, only seed 
propagation) 
Curly Mint 
(Mentha spicata var. 
crispa) 
Propagation: seeds, dividing 
rootball; seeds planted Spring, 
divided anytime (preferably Spring 
or Autumn) 
High 
(very hardy, propagates 
easily, nice aroma) 
Dusty miller 
(Artemisia 
ludoviciana) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings, 
division; cuttings in late Spring, 
division in Spring or Fall 
Medium 
(special light preference, 
but drought resistant) 
Fairy fan-flower 
(Scaevola aemula) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings; 
long blooming period 
Low 
(not very hardy, rather 
tender) 
Globe amaranth 
(Gomphrena 
globosa) 
Propagation: seeds Low 
(special light preference, 
difficult to propagate) 
Globe thistle 
(Echinops) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings, root 
division; seeds planted early Spring, 
cuttings taken in Winter, division in 
Fall 
Medium 
(propagates easily, 
drought resistant, but 
special soil preference) 
Grape hyacinth 
(Muscari 
armeniacum) 
Propagation: seeds, division; 
seeds planted late Spring/early Fall, 
divided in early Fall 
High 
(although special light 
preference, propagates 
easily, colorful, and 
beneficial) 
Heather 
(Calluna vulgaris) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings, 
layering, division; cuttings taken 
late Summer/Fall, layering in Fall, 
Medium 
(fragrant, propagates 
easily, but special light
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
divided in Spring preference) 
-32- 
Honesty 
(Lunaria annua) 
Propagation: seeds; seeds planted 
May to June 
Note: after first sowing, plant self-sows 
freely 
Warning: pollen may trigger 
allergies 
High 
(hardy, self-propagates, 
bright colored, fragrant, 
but beware of allergies) 
Hydrangea 
(Hydrangea 
macrophylla) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings, 
layering 
Low 
(special light/soil 
preference 
Larkspur 
(Delphinium elatum) 
Propagation: dividing rootball, 
cuttings, air layering 
Warning: All parts of plant are 
poisonous if ingested 
Low 
(poisonous if ingested) 
Lettuce 
(Lactuca sativa) 
Propagation: seeds 
High 
(can be eaten) 
Lilac 
(Buddleja davidii) 
Propagation: cuttings 
High 
(beautiful and also 
fragrant) 
Magnolia 
(Magnolia 
grandiflora) 
Propagation: cuttings 
Warning: poisonous if ingested, 
skin irritation 
Low 
(poison and skin irritation) 
Marigold 
(Calendula 
officinalis) 
Propagation: seed 
Note: self-sows 
High 
(hardy, self-sows) 
Marjoram 
(Origanum vulgare) 
Propagation: seeds Medium 
(easy to care for, drought 
resistant) 
Night-scented stock 
(Matthiola 
longipetala) 
Propagation: seed Medium 
(hardy, fragrant) 
Pansies 
(Viola x 
wittrockiana) 
Propagation: cuttings, seed Low 
(special soil/water 
preference) 
Peony 
(Paeonia lactiflora) 
Propagation: dividing rootball Low 
(special soil preference) 
Pomegranate 
(Punica granatum) 
Propagation: seed, cuttings, 
layering 
High 
(Drought-resistant, edible) 
Queen Anne’s Lace 
(Daucus carota) 
Propagation: seed 
Warning: poisonous if ingested, 
skin irritation 
Low 
(potentially toxic) 
Sagebrush 
(Artemisia 
Propagation: seed 
Warning: trigger pollen allergies 
High 
(drought-resistant)
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-33- 
campestris subsp. 
Caudate) 
Salvia 
(Salvia elegans) 
Propagation: cuttings 
Warning: N/A 
Medium 
(soil preference, fragrant) 
Snapdragon 
(Antirrhinum majus) 
Propagation: Seeds High 
(very hardy, colorful) 
Statice 
(Limonium 
platyphyllum) 
Propagation: seeds; seeds planted 
March to April 
High 
(Easy to grow, hardy, 
attractive oval leaves that 
can be dried) 
Strawflower 
(Helichrysum 
petiolare) 
Propagation: cuttings; 
cuttings taken from March to May 
Medium 
(sasy to grow, silver 
foliage, but somewhat 
tender and special light 
preference) 
Sumach 
(Rhus typhina) 
Propagation: seedlings or fully 
grown trees 
Low 
(special light preference, 
difficult to maintain, 
mostly grown outdoors) 
Swan river daisy 
(Brachyscome 
iberidifolia) 
Propagation: seeds; 
seeds planted March to April 
Medium 
(hardy, colorful, but 
special light preference 
and difficult to propagate) 
Sweet Pea 
(Lathyrus odoratus) 
Propagation: seeds; 
seeds planted September to May 
Warning: can produce a strong 
perfume aroma, peas are poisonous 
if ingested 
Low 
(hardy, easy to grow, but 
aroma may provoke 
allergic reactions, and 
toxic) 
Teasel 
(Dipsacus fullonum) 
Propagation: seeds; 
seeds planted April to May 
Medium 
(hardy, easy to grow, 
visually interesting, but 
require a year before 
flowering, biennials) 
Thyme 
(Thymus) 
Propagation: cuttings; 
cuttings taken May-June 
Medium 
(woody aromatic perennial 
and hardy, but special 
light preference) 
Trailing lobelia 
(Lobelia) 
Propagation: seeds; 
seeds planted March to April 
Warning: pollen may trigger 
allergies 
High 
(hardy, very colorful) 
Vine Lilac 
(Hardenbergia) 
Propagation: seeds, cuttings; 
cuttings taken August to October 
Low 
(special water/light
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-34- 
preference) 
Viola 
(Viola) 
Propagation: cuttings; 
cuttings only July-August 
High 
(interesting black petals, 
hardy, easy to grow) 
Yarrow 
(Achillea 
millefolium) 
Propagation: seeds (common), 
seedlings 
High 
(Hardy, Perenial flower, 
easy to grow, does not 
spread uncontrollably, 
attractive foliage) 
Zinnia 
(Zinnia) 
Propagation: seeds (common), 
seedlings 
Medium 
(colorful flower, grows in 
any soil, but somewhat 
fragile and special light 
preference)
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix E: Photographs Illustrating the Team Experience 
-35-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Fa: Ideas for Horticulture Activities for Students 
-36- 
o Hydorponics 
o Take cuttings from Pothos, Spider plant, Ficus trees, etc… and place them 
in water for growth 
o Place them in water and eventually transplant. 
o Make bark, stump, and leaf rubbings. 
o Place a mushroom top on a piece of paper to make spore prints, and then spray 
with acrylic. 
o Make compost in a large plastic bag. 
o Add starter soil, compost material, one cup of agricultural lime, and one 
cup of water. 
o Have children train ivy around stakes. 
o Start with three ivy plants in a pot. 
o Arrange the stakes in the shape of a teepee. 
o During the winter, make winter scenes on sheets of white Styrofoam. 
o Evergreen branches for trees (can use Norfolk Island Pines), and spray 
with artificial snow. 
o Floral prints 
o Use construction paper, velvet, satin, or burlap for the background. 
Pressed flowers are mounted and glued on one at a time. The picture can 
be covered with clear plastic or glass. 
o Placemats and bookmarkers 
o Arrange pressed plant material on a piece of plastic Contac paper. Apply 
another piece of plastic over the arrangement. The margins can be cut with 
pinking shears. 
o Growing herbs 
o Transplant 
o Use various herbs for tea: one teaspoon of dried leaves or flowers is used 
for one cup of tea. If fresh herbs are used, double the amount, and steep in 
boiling water for ten to fifteen minutes. 
o Making potpourri 
o A potpourri is a small compost of exquisite ingredients such as flower 
petals, oils, spices, gums, barks, and leaves. It is used to refresh and scent 
the air. 
o Start to collect the ingredients during the summer and throughout the fall. 
The flowers should be selected for their color and fragrance. 
o Rose petals are commonly used because they retain some of their 
fragrance. 
o The petals of carnations, geraniums, heliotrope, honeysuckle, lavender, 
lilac, and spice pinks can also be sued. 
o Separate the petals and place them with salt, orrisroot or gum benzoin, 
various spices, and brown sugar.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
o Layers of the ingredients are placed in a jar, and these are aged for three to 
-37- 
six weeks. 
o The mixtures should be mixed twice a week. Once blended, the mixtures 
will last for years. 
o The following are potpourri recipes. 
General Mixture 
o 1 gallon dried flower petals 
o 1 box plain salt 
o 1 tablespoon allspice 
o 1 ounce oil of bergamot 
o ½ ounce orrisroot powder 
o Small box of ground cinnamon 
o 1 box bay leaves 
Mint Potpourri 
o 2 cups dried lavender 
o 1 cup dried mint leaves 
(peppermint, spearmint, 
orangemint) 
o ½ cup dried thyme 
o ¼ cup rosemary 
o A few drops of lavender, thyme, 
and bergamot oil 
o Dried red geranium petals, blue 
bachelor’s buttons, and delphiniums 
o Plant seeds in the form of a child’s initials. 
o The following plants grow quickly. The growth can be measured day to day. The 
following are quick to germinate and grow fast: castor beans, sunflowers, 
morning glory, pumpkins, gourds, zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, radishes, wax 
beans, green beans, and beets. 
o A whistle or horn can be made from a sqush leaf stem. The hollow leaf stem or 
petiole becomes solid where it joins the leaf blade. Cut the leaf stem from the vine 
and cut it again through the solid part near the leaf. Make a slit in the stalk about 
½ inch up from the solid part. Put the end with the slit in your mouth and blow. 
Drying plants and flowers: 
Red: cockscomb, peony, pomegranate, roses, strawflowers, sumac, zinnia 
Pink: delphinium, gladiolus, globe amaranth, larkspur, peony, snapdragon, statice 
Yellow: acaia, chrysanthemum, goldenrod, marigold, strawflower, yarrow, zinnia 
Blue: cornflower, delphinium, globe thistle, hydrangea, larkspur, slavia 
Green: ferns, foliage, grasses, hydrangea, seed pods 
Orange: bittersweet, Chinese lanterns, marigolds, strawflower, Zinnia 
Violet: gladiolus, heather, lilac, statice, stock 
Gray: Artemisia, bayberry, dusty miller 
Brown: canna, cones, dock, seed pods 
Tan: grasses, leaves, seed pods, wood roses 
Black: baptisia pods, magnolia leaves, teasel 
White: baby’ breath, honesty, peony, Queen Anne’s Lace, statice, strawflower. 
Small compact drying method
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
1. Collect the plants on a bright, sunny day before they reach full maturity, but not 
after their color deigns to deteriorate. 
2. Remove all unnecessary leaves. The shaping of the plants can also be done at this 
time. The bottom of the flower original stem can be removed and replaced with 
florist’s wire inserted through the bottom of the floral head. 
3. Tie the plants in a small bunch and suspend them upside down. This keeps the 
stems straight and the flower heads upright. 
4. Hang the plants in a dry, warm location with good ventilation. Do not cover or 
enclose them in a closet. Do not expose them to direct sun. 
It takes about 8-10 days for the majority of plants to dry, but it depends on humidity. 
Note: this information was taken directly from Horticulture for the disabled and 
disadvantaged. Citation information can be found in the bibliography 
-38-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Fb: Planting Details for Some Vegetables 
QuickTime™ and a 
TIFF (LZW) decompressor 
are needed to see this picture. 
Note: this information was taken directly from Horticulture for the disabled and 
disadvantaged. Citation information can be found in the bibliography 
-39-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Fc: Details for Starting an Avacado Tree 
-40- 
1. Cut into your avocado carefully, 
so as not to injure the pit located 
in the fruit's center. Carefully 
remove the pit, and set it aside. 
Use the avocado meat to create 
the tasty dip/topping known as 
guacamole. 
2. Gently wash the avocado pit, 
removing all avocado flesh from 
the pit. 
3. Holding the pit "narrow" 
(pointed) side up, stick four 
toothpicks into the middle 
section of the pit at even 
intervals, to a depth of about 5 
mm. 
4. In a small, slender container 
(preferably glass), add water 
until it reaches the very top rim. 
Your container's opening should 
be wide enough to easily 
accommodate the full width of 
the avocado, but not too much 
wider. 
5. Set your avocado pit (with 
inserted toothpicks) on the top 
rim of the container. The 
toothpicks should sit on the rim 
of the container, while keeping 
the pit only half-submerged in 
the water. 
6. Set the avocado-topped container 
in temperate, undisturbed place-- 
near a window or other well-lit 
area--to begin the rooting and 
growth process. 
7. Change the water every 1-2 days 
to ensure that contaminants (i.e. 
mold, bacteria, fermentation, 
etc.) do not hinder the avocado 
sprouting process. Ensure that 
the base of the avocado always 
remains moist and submerged in 
water. 
8. Remember: Wait patiently. The 
avocado takes several weeks to 
begin to root. Over the next 2-3 
weeks, the avocado's brown outer 
layer will begin to dry out and 
wrinkle, eventually sloughing 
off. Soon after, the pit should 
begin to split open at the top and 
bottom. After 3-4 weeks, a tap 
root should begin to emerge at 
the base of the pit. 
9. Continue to water the plant 
accordingly, being careful not to
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-41- 
disturb or injure the tap root. 
Continue to allow the avocado 
pit time to establish its roots. 
Soon, the avocado will sprout at 
the top, releasing an unfolding 
leaf-bud that will open and begin 
to grow a shoot bearing leaves. 
10. When the roots are substantial 
and the stem top has had a 
chance to re-grow leaves (after at 
least one pruning), your baby 
avocado tree is ready to be 
planted in soil. Remove the 
sprouted pit from the water 
container, and gently remove 
each of the toothpicks. 
11. Use a 20-25 cm terra cotta pot 
filled with enriched soil to 2 cm 
below the top. A 50/50 blend of 
topsoil and coir (coconut fibre) 
works best. Smooth and slightly 
pack the soil, adding more soil as 
needed. Once the soil is 
prepared, dig a narrow hole deep 
enough to accommodate your 
avocado's roots and pit. 
12. Carefully bury the avocado pit in 
the soil such that the top-half of 
pit shows above the surface of 
the soil. Pack the soil lightly 
around the pit. 
13. Water your plant daily or enough 
to keep the soil moist. Avoid 
over-watering to the point that 
the soil becomes muddy. If the 
leaves turn brown at the tips, the 
tree needs more water. If the 
leaves turn yellow, the tree is 
getting too much water and needs 
to be permitted to dry out for a 
day or two. 
14. Continue to tend to your avocado 
plant regularly, and in a few 
years you will have an attractive 
and low-maintenance tree. Your 
family and friends will be 
impressed to know that from an 
avocado pit, salvaged from your 
guacamole recipe, you have 
cultivated and grown your very 
own avocado tree. 
Note: This information was taken 
directly from 
<http://www.wikihow.com/Plant-an- 
Avocado-Tree> citation information in 
bibliography
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Fd: Guidelines for Care of Plants 
Watering Guidelines: 
1. Overwatering causes root injury and death of plants. Learn to water when the 
plant needs it. Feel the soil. More plants die of overwatering than from any other 
factor. 
2. A cool environment requires less water than a hot, dry one. 
3. When a plant is growing new leaves or producing flowers, it needs more water. 
4. Plants with heavy, thorny, or waxy leaves need less water than the thin-leaved 
varieties. Water cacti once every 2-4 weeks in the summer, and once every 2 
month in the winter. 
5. Wet the soil until the excess water drains off. 
6. Water less with plastic pots, more with clay pots. 
7. Small pots dry out faster, as do hanging plants. 
8. If the plant is rootbound, it will need more water than when just starting to fill the 
-42- 
pot with roots. 
9. Newly transplanted seedlings or repotted plants need less water until the roots get 
established, but do not let the seedlings dry out. 
10. Water “sick” plants sparingly. The roots are weak and they are likely to rot. 
11. Water with tepid water; cold water can shock and cause leaf damage. 
12. Water from the tap may contain chlorine and it should stand overnight before 
being used. Avoid water that is softened with chemicals. Use rain water or cover 
the surface of the soil with charcoal to strain out some of the chemical impurities. 
13. Rain water or soft water is ideal for watering. It is slightly acid, and it favors the 
growth of soil bacteria which break down organic matter in the soil. 
14. Hard or alkaline water contains salts of calcium and magnesium, in addition to 
chlorides and sulfates. High concentrations of salts may injure the plant’s roots 
and leaves. 
15. Dry heat indoors during winter means more frequent watering. With indoor plants, 
a lack of humidity is detrimental due to excessive evaporation. Increase the 
humidity by placing a layer of damp pebbles in trays under the pots or by 
spraying the plants with a fine mist everyday. Do not mist plants such as cacti or 
succulents, or those with fuzzy leaves. 
Lighting Guidelines 
1. Vegetable plants grow better in full sunlight than in the shade, and some need 
more sun than others. 
2. Some indoor plants can stand direct sunlight, but most prefer a relatively strong, 
filtered, or diffused light. 
3. A plant that lives with insufficient light might look well for months, but it is 
actually suffering. The amount of light that a plant needs is more than most 
people think. 
4. Artificial lighting may be used alone or in combination with natural light.
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
5. Use the shadow test to determine the amount of light. Hold a piece of paper up to 
the light and note the shadow it makes. A sharp shadow means that you have 
bright or good light, whereas a barely visible shadow means dim light. 
6. A full sun requirement means that the plant will need sun for at least half of the 
day. Indirect or partial sun means that the sun should be filtered through a curtain. 
Bright light means no direct sun, but the room should be bright and well lighted. 
Shade-loving plants should be kept in a well-shaded area with no direct sun at all. 
7. When plants are not getting enough light, the lower leaves die, and the new leaves 
are small. When plants get too much light, they wilt, fade, or burn. 
8. Rotate plants so that taverage date for the first killing frost in the fall. he leaves 
-43- 
get an even distribution of light. 
Temperature Guidelines 
1. Temperatures that are comfortable for people are also satisfactory for most indoor 
plants. 
2. Most plants prefer to bge 10 or 15 degrees cooler at night. 
3. Keep plants away from drafts, air conditioners, and radiators. 
4. All plants benefit from proper temperature and a gentle circulation of air. 
5. Most plants do not like sudden changes in temperature. 
Note: this information was taken directly from Horticulture for the disabled and 
disadvantaged. Citation information can be found in the bibliography
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix Fe: Inventory List from Angel Plants 
-44-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-45-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-46-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-47-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-48-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-49-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-50-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-51-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-52-
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-53- 
Appendix Fg: Seasonal Activities 
Table I. Availability of typical greenhouse crops 
Month Crop produced 
January spring bulbs, azalea, primula, cineraria, calceolaria, cyclamen 
February roses, spring bulbs, oxalis, cineraria, calceolaria, primula, cyclamen, azalea, lilies 
March hydrangea, kalanchoe, cineraria, calceolaria, primula, cyclamen, azalea, lilies, bedding plants 
April spring bulbs, azalea, lilies, gloxinia, heimalis begonia, bedding plants, flowering baskets 
May 
hydrangea, azalea, kalanchoe, lilies, gloxinia, potted roses, late flowering bulbs, geranium, new 
guinea impatiens, bedding plants, flowering baskets 
June gloxinia, heimalis, begonia, foliage, hibiscus, gerbera, potted bedding plants 
July gerbera, gloxinia, streptocarpus, heimalis begonia 
August hibiscus, azalea, heimalis begonia, foliage plants, field chrysanthemum 
September foliage plants, gloxinia, azalea, hibiscus, ornamental pepper, field chrysanthemum 
October hibiscus, foliage, flowering cabbage, flowering kale, cyclamen 
November poinsettia, cyclamen, Christmas cactus 
December poinsettia, Christmas cactus, cyclamen, heimalis begonia 
Table II. Seasonal plant material produced for specific holidays 
Occasion/season Preferred type* Plant material 
Valentine's Day cut anything red, cut roses, potted tulips, azalea, cyclamen 
Easter potted spring bulbs, Easter lily, hydrangea, chrysanthemum, azalea 
Secretary's Day both cineraria, spring bulbs, potted chrysanthemum, primula 
Mother's Day both 
roses, hydrangea, spring bulbs, azalea, potted chrysanthemum, 
gloxinia, African violet, early bedding plants, fuchsia 
Memorial Day potted geranium 
September potted foliage plants 
Thanksgiving cut chrysanthemum 
Christmas potted poinsettia, cyclamen, Christmas cactus 
* The holidays are denoted as either 'cut' or 'potted' based on whether cut flowers or potted plants are the 
primary products sold. 
Note: This information came directly from 
http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/greenhou/ghprodct.htm. Citation information can 
be found in the bibliography
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix G: References Consulted for Project 
BBC-Gardening. BBC. 10 December 2006. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening> 
Begeman, John “Create your own backyard garden” Arid-Southwestern Gardening 
Information. 1 December, 2006. 
<http://ag.arizona.edu/gardening/news/articles/1.3.html> 
“Gardening Australia” ABC. 19 October, 2006. 
<http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1460240.htm> 
“How to plant an Avocado tree” wikiHow 4 December 2006. 13 October 2006 
<http://www.wikihow.com/Plant-an-Avocado-Tree> 
Olszowy, Damon R. Ph.D. Horticulture for the disabled and disadvantaged Springfield, 
-54- 
Illinois: Thomas Books, 1978. 
Summer Winds. “Antigonon leptopus” 10 October, 2006 
<http://www.summerwindsaz.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plan 
t_id=1646> 
West Virginia University “Greenhouse Production” West Virginia University. 25 October, 
2006. <http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/greenhou/ghprodct.htm> 
Windows to my World. “Carolina Jasmine” 20 October, 2006. 
<http://www.sd1new.net/GardenPages/carolina-jasmine.htm>
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Appendix H: Copy of PowerPoint Slides 
Team 6: Interior & Exterior 
Landscaping and Horticulture 
Primary Facilitator: Ini Li 
Secondary Facilitator: Eugene Yao 
Conflict Manager: Kevin Luke 
Process Observer: Mike Aronov 
Time Keeper: Jason Eckstein 
-55- 
v 
Problem Statement 
 to improve the students’ quality of life within 
the school by creating an environment that 
provides therapy and builds prevocational 
skills 
 to choose which plants we want to place in 
the greenhouse in order to address the wide 
range of specific disabilities of the students, 
while providing a social, therapeutic, and 
educational environment 
I
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior  Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Summary of Presentation 
 Functional Requirements 
 Provide a list of plants 
 Preliminary Maya design of plants 
-56- 
inside greenhouse 
 Instructions on care for plants 
 Horticulture-related activities for 
students 
 Summaries of potential costs 
I 
Design Specifications 
Need for Product 
Provides Therapeutic/Social Environment 
Build Prevocational Skills 
Performance Requirements 
Year Round, 100% Student Participation 
Sensory Stimulation Aesthetic Plants 
Hands on Activities Robust Plants 
Service Environment 
Room Temperature  Comfortable Humidity 
Static Conditions Throughout Year 
J
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior  Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Main Design: Plant Distribution 
-57- 
J 
Main Design: Potted Plants 
Dracaena Marginata 
Norfolk Island Pine 
Potted Herbs: Mint, 
Basil Thyme, etc… 
Easy Vegetables 
and Fruit: Lettuce, 
Radishes, Grapes 
J 
Carolina Yellow 
Jasmine
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior  Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Main Design: Trees  Flowers 
Benjamin Fig Ficus Ficus Rubber Tree 
-58- 
Pansies 
Dahlia 
J 
Main Design: Hanging Plants 
Spider Plant 
Pothos 
J
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior  Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-59- 
Maintenance 
 Use the correct type of soil 
 Water according to guidelines 
 Apply fertilizer as needed for nutrients 
 Make sure light is appropriate for 
each plant 
 Prune plants to avoid overgrowth 
E 
Activities 
 Students can make flower bookmarks 
from dried leaves and potpourri to 
bring home 
 Activities may reflect the season or 
holiday 
 Herb and Vegetable Gardens can be 
grown in pots and used for 
aromatherapy and cooking 
E
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior  Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-60- 
Activities Cntd. 
 Avocado pit 
growing 
 Place pothos and 
spider plant 
cuttings in water 
 Flower drying 
Cost Analysis 
 Barebones Estimate: 
 Plants: $2650 
 Total: $3233.48 
 Dream Estimate: 
 Plants: $6280 
 Total: $7746 
K
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior  Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
Cost Analysis (cont’d) 
 Recommended Estimate 
-61- 
 Plants: $4460.00 
 Tools: $886.00 
 Total: $5346.35 
 Tools: shovel, fertilizer, replacing 
annuals 
K 
Conclusion 
 Three categories of plants: potted for activities, trees 
for section separation and atmosphere, and hanging 
plants for aesthetics and some activities 
 Activities that cater to all students 
 Estimated Cost 
 Basic: $3233.48 
 Recommended: $5346.35 
 Dream: $7746 
M
Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein 
Team 6: Interior  Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture 
Advisor: Emily Persson 
Final Design Report 
December 11, 2006 
-62- 
Future Work 
 Hydroponics 
 Look further into additional 
vendors and activities 
 Aquatic Plants 
M

More Related Content

Similar to Landscaping and Horticulture for Lauren Schwartz’s Memorial Greenhouse

Ch. 7 glencoe worksheets
Ch. 7 glencoe worksheetsCh. 7 glencoe worksheets
Ch. 7 glencoe worksheetsLori Welsh
 
“Workshop on the use of didactic teaching aids for english classes, for teach...
“Workshop on the use of didactic teaching aids for english classes, for teach...“Workshop on the use of didactic teaching aids for english classes, for teach...
“Workshop on the use of didactic teaching aids for english classes, for teach...Josenglish Ramos
 
Green Thumbs to Green Minds
Green Thumbs to Green MindsGreen Thumbs to Green Minds
Green Thumbs to Green MindsTodd Beasley
 
wide_angle_3_teachers_book_unlocked.pdf
wide_angle_3_teachers_book_unlocked.pdfwide_angle_3_teachers_book_unlocked.pdf
wide_angle_3_teachers_book_unlocked.pdfMily L
 
(1) Properties of Soil Agriculture and Water Availability Impac.docx
(1) Properties of Soil Agriculture and Water Availability Impac.docx(1) Properties of Soil Agriculture and Water Availability Impac.docx
(1) Properties of Soil Agriculture and Water Availability Impac.docxgertrudebellgrove
 
Global awarenss pbl
Global awarenss pblGlobal awarenss pbl
Global awarenss pblJana Parkin
 
University Learning Spaces - Disciplinary Perspectives - Activities
University Learning Spaces -  Disciplinary Perspectives - ActivitiesUniversity Learning Spaces -  Disciplinary Perspectives - Activities
University Learning Spaces - Disciplinary Perspectives - Activitiesdisciplinarythinking
 
Preview_Science_stage7-9_Lower_Secondary_School.pdf
Preview_Science_stage7-9_Lower_Secondary_School.pdfPreview_Science_stage7-9_Lower_Secondary_School.pdf
Preview_Science_stage7-9_Lower_Secondary_School.pdfHaniAtef4
 
Guidebook on technology planning
Guidebook on technology planningGuidebook on technology planning
Guidebook on technology planningclasscaptain101
 
BUE2015FlippedClassroomDesign.pdf
BUE2015FlippedClassroomDesign.pdfBUE2015FlippedClassroomDesign.pdf
BUE2015FlippedClassroomDesign.pdfloantnu1
 
Multimedia classroom
Multimedia classroomMultimedia classroom
Multimedia classroomdraungwin
 
Metis project deliverable D3.2: Draft of pilot workshop
Metis project deliverable D3.2: Draft of pilot workshopMetis project deliverable D3.2: Draft of pilot workshop
Metis project deliverable D3.2: Draft of pilot workshopYishay Mor
 
Thesis template v1.3 usm library
Thesis template v1.3 usm libraryThesis template v1.3 usm library
Thesis template v1.3 usm libraryMOHDAZIZIBINNOOR
 

Similar to Landscaping and Horticulture for Lauren Schwartz’s Memorial Greenhouse (20)

Greenhouse Horticultural Therapy Program at School for the Disabled - Safety ...
Greenhouse Horticultural Therapy Program at School for the Disabled - Safety ...Greenhouse Horticultural Therapy Program at School for the Disabled - Safety ...
Greenhouse Horticultural Therapy Program at School for the Disabled - Safety ...
 
Ch. 7 glencoe worksheets
Ch. 7 glencoe worksheetsCh. 7 glencoe worksheets
Ch. 7 glencoe worksheets
 
Dnle final project
Dnle final projectDnle final project
Dnle final project
 
“Workshop on the use of didactic teaching aids for english classes, for teach...
“Workshop on the use of didactic teaching aids for english classes, for teach...“Workshop on the use of didactic teaching aids for english classes, for teach...
“Workshop on the use of didactic teaching aids for english classes, for teach...
 
Green Thumbs to Green Minds
Green Thumbs to Green MindsGreen Thumbs to Green Minds
Green Thumbs to Green Minds
 
wide_angle_3_teachers_book_unlocked.pdf
wide_angle_3_teachers_book_unlocked.pdfwide_angle_3_teachers_book_unlocked.pdf
wide_angle_3_teachers_book_unlocked.pdf
 
(1) Properties of Soil Agriculture and Water Availability Impac.docx
(1) Properties of Soil Agriculture and Water Availability Impac.docx(1) Properties of Soil Agriculture and Water Availability Impac.docx
(1) Properties of Soil Agriculture and Water Availability Impac.docx
 
Hope sos project 9-10
Hope   sos project 9-10Hope   sos project 9-10
Hope sos project 9-10
 
sei_scibasic.pdf
sei_scibasic.pdfsei_scibasic.pdf
sei_scibasic.pdf
 
Global awarenss pbl
Global awarenss pblGlobal awarenss pbl
Global awarenss pbl
 
University Learning Spaces - Disciplinary Perspectives - Activities
University Learning Spaces -  Disciplinary Perspectives - ActivitiesUniversity Learning Spaces -  Disciplinary Perspectives - Activities
University Learning Spaces - Disciplinary Perspectives - Activities
 
Preview_Science_stage7-9_Lower_Secondary_School.pdf
Preview_Science_stage7-9_Lower_Secondary_School.pdfPreview_Science_stage7-9_Lower_Secondary_School.pdf
Preview_Science_stage7-9_Lower_Secondary_School.pdf
 
Guidebook on technology planning
Guidebook on technology planningGuidebook on technology planning
Guidebook on technology planning
 
Wood
WoodWood
Wood
 
BUE2015FlippedClassroomDesign.pdf
BUE2015FlippedClassroomDesign.pdfBUE2015FlippedClassroomDesign.pdf
BUE2015FlippedClassroomDesign.pdf
 
Secondary School, Cultivating Learning with School Gardens - Teachers Handbook
Secondary School, Cultivating Learning with School Gardens - Teachers Handbook Secondary School, Cultivating Learning with School Gardens - Teachers Handbook
Secondary School, Cultivating Learning with School Gardens - Teachers Handbook
 
Multimedia classroom
Multimedia classroomMultimedia classroom
Multimedia classroom
 
Design Proposal
Design ProposalDesign Proposal
Design Proposal
 
Metis project deliverable D3.2: Draft of pilot workshop
Metis project deliverable D3.2: Draft of pilot workshopMetis project deliverable D3.2: Draft of pilot workshop
Metis project deliverable D3.2: Draft of pilot workshop
 
Thesis template v1.3 usm library
Thesis template v1.3 usm libraryThesis template v1.3 usm library
Thesis template v1.3 usm library
 

More from School Vegetable Gardening - Victory Gardens

More from School Vegetable Gardening - Victory Gardens (20)

Behind Enemy Lines - Marthe Cohn - One Woman against Nazi Germany
Behind Enemy Lines - Marthe Cohn - One Woman against Nazi GermanyBehind Enemy Lines - Marthe Cohn - One Woman against Nazi Germany
Behind Enemy Lines - Marthe Cohn - One Woman against Nazi Germany
 
Classical Art School Gardening Posters
Classical Art School Gardening PostersClassical Art School Gardening Posters
Classical Art School Gardening Posters
 
One Teacher Saves her School & her Students
One Teacher Saves her School & her StudentsOne Teacher Saves her School & her Students
One Teacher Saves her School & her Students
 
Coconut Oil helps Heal Children's ADHD - ADD Disease, Autism & Alzheimer Disease
Coconut Oil helps Heal Children's ADHD - ADD Disease, Autism & Alzheimer DiseaseCoconut Oil helps Heal Children's ADHD - ADD Disease, Autism & Alzheimer Disease
Coconut Oil helps Heal Children's ADHD - ADD Disease, Autism & Alzheimer Disease
 
One Teacher Makes Students into Champions
One Teacher Makes Students into ChampionsOne Teacher Makes Students into Champions
One Teacher Makes Students into Champions
 
Good Books help Students Excel in Life & School
Good Books help Students Excel in Life & SchoolGood Books help Students Excel in Life & School
Good Books help Students Excel in Life & School
 
Greening & Restoring the Sahara Desert with the Groasis Waterboxx
Greening & Restoring the Sahara Desert with the Groasis WaterboxxGreening & Restoring the Sahara Desert with the Groasis Waterboxx
Greening & Restoring the Sahara Desert with the Groasis Waterboxx
 
Groasis Waterboxx Lets Trees Grow Up in Unfriendly Places
Groasis Waterboxx Lets Trees Grow Up in Unfriendly PlacesGroasis Waterboxx Lets Trees Grow Up in Unfriendly Places
Groasis Waterboxx Lets Trees Grow Up in Unfriendly Places
 
Explanation of the Groasis Technology for Growing Food in Desert Regions
Explanation of the Groasis Technology for Growing Food in Desert RegionsExplanation of the Groasis Technology for Growing Food in Desert Regions
Explanation of the Groasis Technology for Growing Food in Desert Regions
 
Groasis Waterboxx & the Agua, Vida Naturaleza Project for Growing Food in Des...
Groasis Waterboxx & the Agua, Vida Naturaleza Project for Growing Food in Des...Groasis Waterboxx & the Agua, Vida Naturaleza Project for Growing Food in Des...
Groasis Waterboxx & the Agua, Vida Naturaleza Project for Growing Food in Des...
 
Groasis Waterboxx Handbook on Planting Instructions for Trees & Crops in Dese...
Groasis Waterboxx Handbook on Planting Instructions for Trees & Crops in Dese...Groasis Waterboxx Handbook on Planting Instructions for Trees & Crops in Dese...
Groasis Waterboxx Handbook on Planting Instructions for Trees & Crops in Dese...
 
Groasis Waterboxx Manual for Growing Vegetables in Arid Lands
Groasis Waterboxx Manual for Growing Vegetables in Arid LandsGroasis Waterboxx Manual for Growing Vegetables in Arid Lands
Groasis Waterboxx Manual for Growing Vegetables in Arid Lands
 
Water Saving Measures of Using the Groasis Waterboxx in Organic Gardening in ...
Water Saving Measures of Using the Groasis Waterboxx in Organic Gardening in ...Water Saving Measures of Using the Groasis Waterboxx in Organic Gardening in ...
Water Saving Measures of Using the Groasis Waterboxx in Organic Gardening in ...
 
Making a Week’s Worth of Rain Last the Whole Year
Making a Week’s Worth of Rain Last the Whole YearMaking a Week’s Worth of Rain Last the Whole Year
Making a Week’s Worth of Rain Last the Whole Year
 
Using the Groasis Waterboxx to Plant New Trees in Desert Regions
Using the Groasis Waterboxx to Plant New Trees in Desert RegionsUsing the Groasis Waterboxx to Plant New Trees in Desert Regions
Using the Groasis Waterboxx to Plant New Trees in Desert Regions
 
Greening the World - Desert Restoration, Reduce CO2, Feed the People & Create...
Greening the World - Desert Restoration, Reduce CO2, Feed the People & Create...Greening the World - Desert Restoration, Reduce CO2, Feed the People & Create...
Greening the World - Desert Restoration, Reduce CO2, Feed the People & Create...
 
Groasis Technology Compared to Drip Irrigation
Groasis Technology Compared to Drip IrrigationGroasis Technology Compared to Drip Irrigation
Groasis Technology Compared to Drip Irrigation
 
Groasis Waterboxx - Palm Springs Students Test New Planter Designed to Fight ...
Groasis Waterboxx - Palm Springs Students Test New Planter Designed to Fight ...Groasis Waterboxx - Palm Springs Students Test New Planter Designed to Fight ...
Groasis Waterboxx - Palm Springs Students Test New Planter Designed to Fight ...
 
Groasis Waterboxx Handbook for Planting Methods & Sample of Crop Test Results...
Groasis Waterboxx Handbook for Planting Methods & Sample of Crop Test Results...Groasis Waterboxx Handbook for Planting Methods & Sample of Crop Test Results...
Groasis Waterboxx Handbook for Planting Methods & Sample of Crop Test Results...
 
Groasis Waterboxx Technology Offers Possible Cure for the Deserts
Groasis Waterboxx Technology Offers Possible Cure for the DesertsGroasis Waterboxx Technology Offers Possible Cure for the Deserts
Groasis Waterboxx Technology Offers Possible Cure for the Deserts
 

Recently uploaded

ECONOMIC CONTEXT - LONG FORM TV DRAMA - PPT
ECONOMIC CONTEXT - LONG FORM TV DRAMA - PPTECONOMIC CONTEXT - LONG FORM TV DRAMA - PPT
ECONOMIC CONTEXT - LONG FORM TV DRAMA - PPTiammrhaywood
 
Like-prefer-love -hate+verb+ing & silent letters & citizenship text.pdf
Like-prefer-love -hate+verb+ing & silent letters & citizenship text.pdfLike-prefer-love -hate+verb+ing & silent letters & citizenship text.pdf
Like-prefer-love -hate+verb+ing & silent letters & citizenship text.pdfMr Bounab Samir
 
ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...
ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...
ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...JhezDiaz1
 
Solving Puzzles Benefits Everyone (English).pptx
Solving Puzzles Benefits Everyone (English).pptxSolving Puzzles Benefits Everyone (English).pptx
Solving Puzzles Benefits Everyone (English).pptxOH TEIK BIN
 
What is Model Inheritance in Odoo 17 ERP
What is Model Inheritance in Odoo 17 ERPWhat is Model Inheritance in Odoo 17 ERP
What is Model Inheritance in Odoo 17 ERPCeline George
 
Gas measurement O2,Co2,& ph) 04/2024.pptx
Gas measurement O2,Co2,& ph) 04/2024.pptxGas measurement O2,Co2,& ph) 04/2024.pptx
Gas measurement O2,Co2,& ph) 04/2024.pptxDr.Ibrahim Hassaan
 
ENGLISH6-Q4-W3.pptxqurter our high choom
ENGLISH6-Q4-W3.pptxqurter our high choomENGLISH6-Q4-W3.pptxqurter our high choom
ENGLISH6-Q4-W3.pptxqurter our high choomnelietumpap1
 
Judging the Relevance and worth of ideas part 2.pptx
Judging the Relevance  and worth of ideas part 2.pptxJudging the Relevance  and worth of ideas part 2.pptx
Judging the Relevance and worth of ideas part 2.pptxSherlyMaeNeri
 
Romantic Opera MUSIC FOR GRADE NINE pptx
Romantic Opera MUSIC FOR GRADE NINE pptxRomantic Opera MUSIC FOR GRADE NINE pptx
Romantic Opera MUSIC FOR GRADE NINE pptxsqpmdrvczh
 
Alper Gobel In Media Res Media Component
Alper Gobel In Media Res Media ComponentAlper Gobel In Media Res Media Component
Alper Gobel In Media Res Media ComponentInMediaRes1
 
Field Attribute Index Feature in Odoo 17
Field Attribute Index Feature in Odoo 17Field Attribute Index Feature in Odoo 17
Field Attribute Index Feature in Odoo 17Celine George
 
Keynote by Prof. Wurzer at Nordex about IP-design
Keynote by Prof. Wurzer at Nordex about IP-designKeynote by Prof. Wurzer at Nordex about IP-design
Keynote by Prof. Wurzer at Nordex about IP-designMIPLM
 
DATA STRUCTURE AND ALGORITHM for beginners
DATA STRUCTURE AND ALGORITHM for beginnersDATA STRUCTURE AND ALGORITHM for beginners
DATA STRUCTURE AND ALGORITHM for beginnersSabitha Banu
 
Difference Between Search & Browse Methods in Odoo 17
Difference Between Search & Browse Methods in Odoo 17Difference Between Search & Browse Methods in Odoo 17
Difference Between Search & Browse Methods in Odoo 17Celine George
 
Planning a health career 4th Quarter.pptx
Planning a health career 4th Quarter.pptxPlanning a health career 4th Quarter.pptx
Planning a health career 4th Quarter.pptxLigayaBacuel1
 
AmericanHighSchoolsprezentacijaoskolama.
AmericanHighSchoolsprezentacijaoskolama.AmericanHighSchoolsprezentacijaoskolama.
AmericanHighSchoolsprezentacijaoskolama.arsicmarija21
 
Proudly South Africa powerpoint Thorisha.pptx
Proudly South Africa powerpoint Thorisha.pptxProudly South Africa powerpoint Thorisha.pptx
Proudly South Africa powerpoint Thorisha.pptxthorishapillay1
 

Recently uploaded (20)

ECONOMIC CONTEXT - LONG FORM TV DRAMA - PPT
ECONOMIC CONTEXT - LONG FORM TV DRAMA - PPTECONOMIC CONTEXT - LONG FORM TV DRAMA - PPT
ECONOMIC CONTEXT - LONG FORM TV DRAMA - PPT
 
Like-prefer-love -hate+verb+ing & silent letters & citizenship text.pdf
Like-prefer-love -hate+verb+ing & silent letters & citizenship text.pdfLike-prefer-love -hate+verb+ing & silent letters & citizenship text.pdf
Like-prefer-love -hate+verb+ing & silent letters & citizenship text.pdf
 
ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...
ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...
ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...
 
Solving Puzzles Benefits Everyone (English).pptx
Solving Puzzles Benefits Everyone (English).pptxSolving Puzzles Benefits Everyone (English).pptx
Solving Puzzles Benefits Everyone (English).pptx
 
What is Model Inheritance in Odoo 17 ERP
What is Model Inheritance in Odoo 17 ERPWhat is Model Inheritance in Odoo 17 ERP
What is Model Inheritance in Odoo 17 ERP
 
Gas measurement O2,Co2,& ph) 04/2024.pptx
Gas measurement O2,Co2,& ph) 04/2024.pptxGas measurement O2,Co2,& ph) 04/2024.pptx
Gas measurement O2,Co2,& ph) 04/2024.pptx
 
ENGLISH6-Q4-W3.pptxqurter our high choom
ENGLISH6-Q4-W3.pptxqurter our high choomENGLISH6-Q4-W3.pptxqurter our high choom
ENGLISH6-Q4-W3.pptxqurter our high choom
 
Model Call Girl in Tilak Nagar Delhi reach out to us at 🔝9953056974🔝
Model Call Girl in Tilak Nagar Delhi reach out to us at 🔝9953056974🔝Model Call Girl in Tilak Nagar Delhi reach out to us at 🔝9953056974🔝
Model Call Girl in Tilak Nagar Delhi reach out to us at 🔝9953056974🔝
 
Judging the Relevance and worth of ideas part 2.pptx
Judging the Relevance  and worth of ideas part 2.pptxJudging the Relevance  and worth of ideas part 2.pptx
Judging the Relevance and worth of ideas part 2.pptx
 
Romantic Opera MUSIC FOR GRADE NINE pptx
Romantic Opera MUSIC FOR GRADE NINE pptxRomantic Opera MUSIC FOR GRADE NINE pptx
Romantic Opera MUSIC FOR GRADE NINE pptx
 
Alper Gobel In Media Res Media Component
Alper Gobel In Media Res Media ComponentAlper Gobel In Media Res Media Component
Alper Gobel In Media Res Media Component
 
Field Attribute Index Feature in Odoo 17
Field Attribute Index Feature in Odoo 17Field Attribute Index Feature in Odoo 17
Field Attribute Index Feature in Odoo 17
 
Model Call Girl in Bikash Puri Delhi reach out to us at 🔝9953056974🔝
Model Call Girl in Bikash Puri  Delhi reach out to us at 🔝9953056974🔝Model Call Girl in Bikash Puri  Delhi reach out to us at 🔝9953056974🔝
Model Call Girl in Bikash Puri Delhi reach out to us at 🔝9953056974🔝
 
Keynote by Prof. Wurzer at Nordex about IP-design
Keynote by Prof. Wurzer at Nordex about IP-designKeynote by Prof. Wurzer at Nordex about IP-design
Keynote by Prof. Wurzer at Nordex about IP-design
 
DATA STRUCTURE AND ALGORITHM for beginners
DATA STRUCTURE AND ALGORITHM for beginnersDATA STRUCTURE AND ALGORITHM for beginners
DATA STRUCTURE AND ALGORITHM for beginners
 
Difference Between Search & Browse Methods in Odoo 17
Difference Between Search & Browse Methods in Odoo 17Difference Between Search & Browse Methods in Odoo 17
Difference Between Search & Browse Methods in Odoo 17
 
TataKelola dan KamSiber Kecerdasan Buatan v022.pdf
TataKelola dan KamSiber Kecerdasan Buatan v022.pdfTataKelola dan KamSiber Kecerdasan Buatan v022.pdf
TataKelola dan KamSiber Kecerdasan Buatan v022.pdf
 
Planning a health career 4th Quarter.pptx
Planning a health career 4th Quarter.pptxPlanning a health career 4th Quarter.pptx
Planning a health career 4th Quarter.pptx
 
AmericanHighSchoolsprezentacijaoskolama.
AmericanHighSchoolsprezentacijaoskolama.AmericanHighSchoolsprezentacijaoskolama.
AmericanHighSchoolsprezentacijaoskolama.
 
Proudly South Africa powerpoint Thorisha.pptx
Proudly South Africa powerpoint Thorisha.pptxProudly South Africa powerpoint Thorisha.pptx
Proudly South Africa powerpoint Thorisha.pptx
 

Landscaping and Horticulture for Lauren Schwartz’s Memorial Greenhouse

  • 1. Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture for Lauren Schwartz’s Memorial Greenhouse: Semester Report Mike Aronov Ini Li Kevin Luke Eugene Yao Jason Eckstein Team Leader: Ini Li Team Advisor: Emily Persson Submission Date: December 11, 2006
  • 2. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -2- Table of Contents SECTION 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................... 3 SECTION 2: PROJECT DESCRIPTION................................................................................... 4 DESCRIPTION OF GATEWAY COURSE AND SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAM.............................. 4 DESCRIPTION OF TEAM’S ORGANIZATION................................................................................... 4 DESCRIPTION OF COMMUNITY PARTNER..................................................................................... 5 DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTED PROBLEM...................................................................................... 6 FORMAL PROBLEM STATEMENT................................................................................................... 7 NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS.................... 8 DESCRIPTION OF EVOLUTION OF DESIGN .................................................................................... 9 DEFINING THE PROBLEM.................................................................................................................. 9 FORMULATING SOLUTIONS.............................................................................................................. 9 DEVELOPING MODELS/PROTOTYPES ............................................................................................. 10 IMPLEMENTING, TESTING, MODIFYING, AND PRESENTING THE FINAL DESIGN............................ 10 SECTION 3: TRANSITION PLAN AND PROJECT DOCUMENTATION........................ 12 CONNECTION TO PRIOR WORK AND EXPANSION OF SOLUTION............................................... 12 DOCUMENTATION FOR DUPLICATION OF PROCESS................................................................... 12 DOCUMENTATION FOR USE AND MAINTENANCE OF SOLUTION ............................................... 13 PICTURES, DIAGRAMS, TECHNICAL DRAWINGS, ETC…................................................................ 14 SECTION 4: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................. 15 SECTION 5: APPENDICES....................................................................................................... 16 APPENDIX A: PRODUCT DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS..................................................................... 16 APPENDIX B: GANTT CHART....................................................................................................... 20 APPENDIX C: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (MAYA)................................................................. 21 APPENDIX DA: BUDGET INFORMATION AND LIST OF MATERIALS........................................... 23 APPENDIX DB: ALPHABETIZED LIST OF ALL PLANTS ............................................................... 25 APPENDIX DC: PLANT DESCRIPTIONS FOR HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PLANTS ....................... 26 APPENDIX DD: NOTES ON OTHER PLANTS ................................................................................. 30 APPENDIX E: PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATING THE TEAM EXPERIENCE................................... 35 APPENDIX FA: IDEAS FOR HORTICULTURE ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS ................................. 36 APPENDIX FB: PLANTING DETAILS FOR SOME VEGETABLES ................................................... 39 APPENDIX FC: DETAILS FOR STARTING AN AVACADO TREE.................................................... 40 APPENDIX FD: GUIDELINES FOR CARE OF PLANTS ................................................................... 42 APPENDIX FG: SEASONAL ACTIVITIES ....................................................................................... 53 APPENDIX G: REFERENCES CONSULTED FOR PROJECT............................................................ 54 APPENDIX H: COPY OF POWERPOINT SLIDES............................................................................ 55
  • 3. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Section 1: Executive Summary As students in the Fu Foundation of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University, we participate in service learning projects through the Gateway Lab course. Our team worked among seven other teams all devoted to different aspects of designing a greenhouse for the community partner PS79M, a public school for physically and mentally handicapped students in Harlem. The parents of Lauren Schwartz, a former student of PS79M, have provided funding to build the greenhouse that will commemorate their daughter and provide the students of the school with the same opportunities that Lauren enjoyed during her life. Unlike most of the other students at the school, Lauren had regular therapy, both at the Rusk institute and at her own home; however, the majority of the parents of the PS79M students neither have the time nor the money to provide this for their children. In school, therapy is only available twice a week, which is adequate but nowhere near ideal. Our task, therefore, is to improve the students’ quality of life within the school by creating an environment that provides therapy and builds prevocational skills that will be invaluable to the students upon graduation. Our group provides in this report computer models of plants, cost estimates, activities lists, and purchasing schedules. We have collaborated with the school’s therapists, the parents of Lauren Schwartz, members of the Rusk Institute, and the other teams to produce a comprehensive list of plants and activities that meets the physical, therapeutic, and educational needs of every student and is easy to implement and maintain for the school. The greenhouse must be an active and usable educational and therapeutic environment, so we chose potted plants, which are robust in their ability to survive and the variety of activities that they provide. One main aspect of the design is our use of pots rather than plant beds to allow students to bring the plant of their choice to a central table to work on activities in groups ranging from transplanting and pruning to drying leaves. That way, the greenhouse can also foster a social environment. The main varieties of potted plants we have recommended are common houseplants and flowers that have attractive and varied foliage, have health benefits such as filtering the air, and have the ability to thrive under the care of the children and provide rewarding gardening experiences which are therapeutic in their own right. Such plants include Begonias, Dracaenas, Chinese Evergreens, Norfolk Island pines, and Snapdragons. We will also provide a potted herb garden with some vegetables for more varies activities involving sensory stimulation that cater to students with more limited abilities to physically handle plants. For the aesthetics of the greenhouse, we recommend the use of hanging plants, which can also be used for hydroponic growth activities for students who cannot work with soil. Ficus trees can be placed in large pots on ground level to provide natural barriers to different areas of the greenhouse. Such trees are easy to maintain and can be moved when necessary. This design is extremely realistic and can meet the needs of the students and the school while providing a model from which other schools attempting similar projects can draw. -3-
  • 4. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -4- Section 2: Project Description Description of Gateway Course and Service-Learning Program The Gateway Lab course was created by Professor McGourty to teach first year students the value of being an engineer, while providing members of the community with services that they would otherwise be unable to afford. Before the creation of this course, engineering students had to wait until their junior or senior years to receive real design experience characteristic of the engineering profession. Gateway not only provides lessons on engineering, the design process, Maya, and MALAB, but also provides students with a real project to work on. Each semester, a new set of students tackle the community project that is given to them. Sometimes, they are handed a partially completed project or a completely new project. The projects are always aimed at helping community partners of Columbia University and, as a result, the students receive feedback and must work hard to meet the needs of the clients. The course provides a realistic experience because the clients really rely on the work of the students and the final design must meet the client’s needs well. The Gateway Lab class section 3 in the fall of 2006 was given a project started over the summer. This class was given the task of completing a therapeutic greenhouse for the school PS79M. The Gateway course has provided these students with design lessons and the necessary background knowledge to complete the task for the client. Description of Team’s Organization The class was broken down into teams that covered separate parts of the greenhouse. Certain major tasks for the greenhouse were given to more than one team. For example, the Interior Design team has their own license to provide a design, but they must make their own design fit with the water irrigation team’s. Our team was assigned the task of complete the design for the Interior and Exterior Landscaping, and Horticulture. Once our group was assigned, we divided the team roles. Ini volunteered for the role of primary facilitator. She understands the time, effort, and commitment it takes for this role and has agreed to provide it. She sends e-mails after every meeting to remind the group of the objectives and what needs to be prepared for meetings, in addition to setting the deadlines for work to be submitted to her for revision. She has set doable standards, and makes sure every team member does his or her job, and she has been a key person ensuring that all the work our team submits is revised and complete. Eugene has agreed to take on the role of secondary facilitator. His previous experiences in leadership provide him the skills to help Ini keep the group focused on the task at hand. He understands that his job is to help Ini with her responsibilities, keep the group focused at meetings, and help set the agenda for meetings.
  • 5. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Kevin was chosen as conflict manager because of his natural tendency to listen and think carefully before acting. The team felt that these skills were essential to a conflict manager because in the event of conflict, rash action can exacerbate rather than ameliorate the situation. However, by listening carefully, a conflict manager can discover the true root of the conflict, and then act carefully to eliminate the foundation of the conflict, rather than merely cover up a conflict. Mike agreed to take on the role of being the group’s process observer. His role is to sit back at times and watch how each individual interacts with each other. Since he has to observe the member’s interactions, he also acts as the group scribe. By jotting down what each individual says, he can also focus on his or her behavior. In addition to watching individuals, he also has to watch the group as a whole to make sure all members stay professional and efficient. Jason volunteered for the position of time keeper. He plans on making sure the group does not stay in meetings for longer than an hour and thirty minutes. The group has set this amount of time as a limit because the group has decided that passed that time we will no longer be efficient. If our time working with the group in one sitting exceeds this, each individual’s willingness to stay on task will be greatly decreased, and it will be more difficult for the group as a whole to work together efficiently and cooperatively. The Time Keeper will work with the Secondary Facilitator, in addition to the Process Observer, to keep the group on task and to make sure the group is using the time efficiently. Description of Community Partner PS 79 is a separate public facility for students with mental and physical disabilities. They provide all the therapy they can afford to give. The students here are watched during the day and taught certain basic skills. The school continues to teach the children until they are 21 years of age. According to the assistant principal of the school, the students are split up into two types of disabilities: those who can function normally physically, but are disabled cognitively, and those who have severe physical impairments that require the use of a wheelchair. After their daughter passed way, the parents of Lauren Schwartz proposed the idea to build the greenhouse. Lauren Schwartz attended daily physical therapy at the Rusk Institute. Her parents saw firsthand the positive influences horticulture therapy had on handicapped children. The Rusk Institute, part of New York University, is “the largest university-affiliated center devoted entirely to inpatient/outpatient care, research and training in rehabilitative medicine.” The therapists there use horticulture as part of their physical therapy. After Lauren passed away, her parents wished to create a memorial for her in the form of a greenhouse. They wished for the students at Lauren’s school to benefit from horticulture therapy as she did. -5-
  • 6. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 There was a team who worked on our project in the summer although they were responsible for interior design as well which has been delegated to a separate team this term. These students were high school students who attended a shortened version of the Gateway Lab course. They completed preliminary research and had just moved on to product design. They provided recommendations that were based primarily on the therapeutic nature of plants but not on the functional needs of the greenhouse. They also did not provide written explanations for how they arrived at their conclusions or why they chose the particular plants they did. As a result, many of the recommendations in their report are not plausible to implement or easy to understand. Description of Presented Problem Our preliminary understanding of the problem stemmed from research we conducted in preparation for speaking to the school and parents of Lauren Schwartz. Around the end of the 18th century, therapeutic horticulture treatment was started. Dr. Benjamin Rush, professor at the Institute of Medicine and Clinical Practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, announced in 1798 that field labor on a farm helped people with mental illnesses. From there on, various forms of horticulture sprang up. No major strides were made in horticulture therapy as a treatment until 1879; Friends Hospital installed the first greenhouse solely for therapeutic purposes. However, the biggest growth of interest and research began during WWII when injured soldiers were given horticulture treatment. Since horticulture therapy can improve the quality of the life for the students at PS 79M, it is important to understand its benefits and how it works. Unfortunately there is no definite answer as to why horticulture therapy works. There is the theory that it soothes students in a relaxing environment because any environment surrounded by plants is guaranteed to be less stimulating than our modern environment. In other words, standing in the middle of a park causes far less visual and auditory stress than standing in the middle of the city. Another theory is that since we evolved with plants we have an unlearned habit of relieving the stress in our body around them. In any case, either theory (although there are many more than just 2, the point is the same) allows for any kind of plant to be used in horticulture therapy. In light of this brief information to horticulture therapy, we can understand better how the greenhouse should function. The students of PS 79 are mentally and physically handicapped. The amount of stress this places on the student is unimaginable. We hope, based on research that students who work with the plants will have less stress. In order for the greenhouse to be effective, outside distractions will need to be minimized. Sounds, smells, even sight needs to be shut out. The greenhouse should act as a shelter for peace. The plants selected will give the students the feeling that they have accomplished something and at the same time give their minds a peaceful activity on which to dwell. After the first community partner meeting, we gained a clearer understanding of our client’s problem and began formulating possible solutions. We found that the basic purpose of the greenhouse is to provide a therapeutic space, which the students would enter during a particular class period. The students, however, should be active -6-
  • 7. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 participants in the operation of the greenhouse, which means that the plants must be able to be cultivated by the students. Our understanding of the problem had changed from the summer team idea of focusing primarily on plants that would provide sensory therapy to a focus on usable and durable plants. Due to the nature of the disabilities of the students, however, the plants and therapeutic activities need have to be varied. According to the assistant principal of the school, the students are split up into two types of disabilities: those who can function normally physically, but are disabled cognitively, and those who have severe physical impairments that require the use of a wheelchair. One of the largest problems that would arise from this stark contrast of disabilities is need to cater to all of the different kinds of students in one class period without alienating some of them. Though one student could, for instance, maintain a more complex and fragile plant, another student could only be able to handle a very sturdy and robust plant. For the more physically advanced student, dealing with more robust plants could be rather dull or unchallenging. It would be difficult to challenge those with a larger range of motor abilities and to also allow those with impaired motor abilities to do the same or similar activities. Another problem that our Horticulture team realized needed to be considered after the client meeting was the wide variety of allergies the students may have. Because of their physical condition, the students are more prone to such environmental factors, and having a certain type of plant in the greenhouse that they are allergic to could be devastating to the condition of their health. We gained further insight into the problem by speaking to the Rusk institute to gain insight into how they organize plants in their greenhouse and conducted activities. We learned that the problem also involved building a social environment and prevocational skills such as working in groups and following sets of instructions. Rusk solved this problem by keeping plants in pots that can be easily transported to central work areas. That way, students can pick the plants they want to handle and easily move them to an area with other people. After speaking to the parents of Lauren Schwartz, we saw that they approved of our main design decisions. Taking into account these new areas of the problem that involved having functional plants and a setup that allowed students to work together easily, we developed the final problem statement, which can be found below. Formal Problem Statement The parents of Lauren Schwartz have provided funding for the school PS79M to build a greenhouse that will commemorate their daughter and provide the students of the school with the same opportunities that she had. Lauren, unlike most of the other students at the school, had regular therapy, both at the Rusk institute and at her own home; however, the majority of the parents of the PS79M students have neither the time nor the money to provide this to their children. In school, therapy is only available twice a week, which is adequate but nowhere near ideal. Our task, therefore, is to improve the students’ quality of life within the school by creating an environment that provides therapy and builds prevocational skills that will be invaluable to the students upon graduation. The particular problem our group must tackle is to choose which plants we want to place in the greenhouse in order to address the wide range of specific disabilities of the students, -7-
  • 8. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 while providing a social, therapeutic, and educational environment. Our solution must provide a list of plants, which are easy to maintain by the students and faculty. In addition, these plants must also be used in activities that bring students with a wide range of physical and mental disabilities together in a social environment. These activities can also be group-oriented. These activities must also develop prevocational skills so the students can be more viable candidates for the job market upon graduation. Plants must therefore be robust enough to withstand daily handling by the students and grow successfully to give the students a rewarding experience. We must also provide some plants that provide olfactory, tactile, and/or visual stimulation for students who have limited to no ability to actively cultivate plants due to physical handicaps. Narrative Description of Functional Requirements and Constraints The Product Design Specifications begins with establishing the needs that our design must fulfill, including daily therapy; a social environment; and a place to develop prevocational skills. Plants must not only be varied enough to allow participation from students with vastly different physical and mental abilities, but the activities must also bring those students together and cultivate teamwork as well as the ability to work in groups. These needs provide a base criterion on which later requirements can be judged. Most of the PDS outlines the functional requirements of the plants and activities using the following criteria: Functional Performance, Safety, Quality, Manufacturing, Timing, Economic, Ergonomic, Ecological, Aesthetic, and Life Cycle. The functional performance of the plants must include year-round therapeutic activity that may also build gardening skills, which can be used by students upon graduation. The plants must be distributed to allow all students to participate in those activities and robust enough to provide an easily maintainable population that survives in static room temperature environment. Plants with varying life cycles such as blooming and planting cycles will provide a dynamic year-round calendar of student activity. Since students have unpredictable allergies that change from year to year, plants cannot be commonly allergic or poisonous. Even though there is no set cost limit to the project, in order to make the design easily maintainable for the school and accessible to others who may wish to duplicate the design, our choice of plants will be common, low maintenance, low cost, houseplants, which are visually attractive and meet the functional needs of the students. Large pots with Ficus trees on ground level can provide aesthetics that are easily maintained and mobile. The last section of the PDS deals with Corporate Constraints. We know that the school would like to start construction in the summer of 2007, so we need to provide a design with plants that can be acquired in large quantities by then and fully grown. We feel that building a relationship with a supplier is very important for the PS79M, so we will make several recommendations and suggest that one is chosen and used throughout the year. An alternative solution could be to use one supplier for each period of purchasing. This solution could be desirable if there is particular advantage to purchasing seasonal plants -8-
  • 9. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 from one supplier at a particular time. We must make sure that our design conforms to all ADA and public school requirements. We do not feel that any of our ideas warrant consideration for a patent since one of the strengths of our design is the use of conventional and realistic ideas based on the given the high level of development and success in the world of greenhouses and horticulture therapy. -9- Description of Evolution of Design Defining the Problem PS 79 is primarily for students of handicapped nature. They provide all the therapy they can afford to give. The students here are watched during the day and taught some basic skills. The school takes the children up to when they are 21 of age. According to the assistant principal of the school, the students are split up into two types of disabilities: those who can function normally physically, but are disabled cognitively, and those who have severe physical impairments that require the use of a wheelchair. The parents of Lauren Schwartz have decided to fund the building of a greenhouse for the students at PS79M. Their vision of the greenhouse is not only to commemorate their daughter, but also to provide the students of PS79M, the school she attended, with the same opportunities that she had. Lauren, unlike most of the other students at the school, had regular therapy, both at the Rusk institute and at her own home. However, the majority of the parents of the PS79M students have neither the time nor the money to provide this to their children. In school, therapy is only available twice a week, which is adequate but nowhere near ideal. The goal, therefore, is to improve the students’ quality of life within the school by creating an environment that provides therapy through horticulture and aesthetics. The particular problem our group must tackle is to choose which plants we want to place in the greenhouse in order to address the wide range of specific disabilities of the students, while providing a social and therapeutic environment. Horticulture offers a great way for the kids to receive the therapy they need. The students, however, are so varied in the types and severity of the disabilities they have, that one of the largest problems we must address is the need to cater to all of the different kinds of students in an inclusive way. Another issue that our team considered was the wide variety of allergies the students may have. Because of their physical condition, the students are more prone to such environmental factors, and having a certain type of plant in the greenhouse that they are allergic to could be devastating to the condition of their health. Our solution must actively address and attempt to solve these problems. Formulating Solutions Initially, our team analyzed the work of the summer horticultural team. The summer team’s solution was to maximize the therapeutic properties of each plant by grouping them into the following therapy categories: visual, olfactory, tactile, and taste. In the
  • 10. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 greenhouse, the summer team planned to group plants of the same therapeutic property in the same area in order to create several sensory stimulation stations. These stations would consist of plant beds, where students could work with the plants. Our team initially felt that the summer team had a very good plan, and our early efforts focused on expanding this plan and working out the intricate details. However, our team began to doubt the effectiveness of the summer team’s plan when one our team members, while researching disability therapy, discovered that disabled students received much more therapy from working together in a group than from actual sensory stimulation. Our doubts were verified when we met with therapists from The Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. The therapists strongly emphasized the importance of learning how to work in groups, since this would be an essential life lesson that the students would take with them after leaving the school. On the contrary, when our team mentioned purely aesthetic plants, the Rusk therapists felt that hardy plants that the students could directly work with would better replace such plants. These findings drastically changed our plans. Our team completely abandoned the idea of therapeutic stations and plant beds. Instead, we decided a central work area would be the most functional plan. With a central workstation, several students would be grouped together. Since they would not always be able to directly ask a teacher or aid across the table, students would be forced to ask each other for help, developing group work abilities in the process. In addition, instead of placing plants in plant beds, our team decided to place most functional plants in pots. This would allow students to choose a plant to work on, and then bring the plant to the central work area. Finally, in terms of plant selection, we decided to choose robust plants that would be able to handle a variety of conditions, including minor mistreatment. Our finalized plan allowed students to gain the most therapy by developing group work abilities through interaction with other students. Aesthetic concerns could be met with hardy hanging plants and large pots on ground level with Ficus trees which are again easy to maintain and visually pleasing. -10- Developing Models/Prototypes We learned from our Maya instructor, Jose, how to incorporate plants into Maya. We collaborated our design with the interior design team and created a preliminary 3- Dimensional design of what the final greenhouse will look like. The distribution of the plants is not extremely important because the plants are in pots and not plant beds, so each individual plant is mobile and can be placed in any arrangement. Implementing, Testing, Modifying, and Presenting the Final Design We realized throughout the semester that in order to implement our design, the school would need more information than just details on buying and maintaining plants. Initially, we felt that the school would only need a list of plants and materials to order and a supplier in order to implement our design. However, as our research became more
  • 11. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 detailed, we realized that the problem was much more complex. Providing a plant list was not a very simple task. In order to develop a methodology for choosing plants, we needed to choose plant attributes that would be most beneficial for the client. This was rather difficult because there were several plant attributes that tended to the clients’ needs, such as light, soil, durability, and sensory therapeutic value. Therefore, our team needed to develop a method to prioritize these qualities. Ultimately, we realized that it was more important for the greenhouse to be an active, usable place with plants that could be successfully cultivated by the students than a traditionally therapeutic space with expensive, exotic plants that could not be actively used by the students. Although providing a plant list was difficult, we realized that we could not simply produce a plant/material list and a vendor for the client. In order for the client to select among the plants from the plant list, we would need to provide recommendations for each plant. This involved much more detailed research and analysis. Finally, our team realized that the school would need an idea of what to do with the plants they have, so we decided to include a list of plant activities. Although we did not need to test our design, we did need to modify it greatly. A description of the evolution of our modifications is in the Formulating Solutions part of this report. In terms of presenting our design, we changed our presentation format for the final presentation. During the midterm presentation, we went into excessive detail of the problem and the restrictions on our solution. This took a large portion of the midterm presentation, which left only a little time to present our solution. However, for the final presentation, we decided to define the problem statement and our restrictions, and then use most of the time to explain our solution. In this part of the presentation, we would discuss our plant list, activities list, and a quick cost analysis. In addition, we decided to enhance our presentation by including a few live samples of recommended plants and a demonstration of a recommended activity. Our final presentation would give the client the most applicable information of our detailed design. -11-
  • 12. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Section 3: Transition Plan and Project Documentation Connection to Prior Work and Expansion of Solution Our work was linked to the work of the summer team, who were the first group to contribute to this project. They seemed to focus on a large variety of plants, with several groups for stimulation of each of the senses. A list of specific plants was also included, each with a brief description. While this was informative, a major flaw of the summer group is that their choices were not explained; though it was logical to provide sensory stimulation, our team soon realized that this was not necessarily the most critical issue. And while the list of plants was well compiled, it completely failed to address any problems that could arise from the students being disabled, such as allergies, and while oversensitivity and under sensitivity were mentioned, the plant choices did not reflect an understanding and taking into account of these disabilities. Also, the summer team’s work did not offer any explanations as to why particular plants were chosen: all that was given were various categories that explained which of the five senses the plant was geared towards. Future teams should focus on plant activities that would benefit students and more investigation into plant vendors. While places like Rusk institute use large plant vendors with huge varieties like Angel plants, this may not necessarily be the best solution for the school’s greenhouse. Our team has recommended Angel plants, but we also discovered that smaller plant vendors, and perhaps even farmer’s markets, offer enough variety and expertise to be acceptable. The school may find these local, small vendors more convenient to restock their supply of plants. Documentation for Duplication of Process Our team gained much insight from speaking to experts who deal with similar problems and horticulture on a daily basis, so duplicating and continuing our process would require continued communication with those people. At this point in the design phase, it is important to consider activities for the students above the plant types. After talking to Rusk institute as well as independent therapists, we discovered that students with disabilities such as those in PS 79 would gain more from group activities with generic, hardy plants, rather that focusing on various types of sensory stimulations that can be gained from certain plant types. Also, we urge any continuing teams to look more into different plant vendors. As stated in the upper section, the Rusk institute use large plant vendors, but this may not necessarily be the best solution for the greenhouse. We found the BBC gardening website particularly useful in filtering types of plants based on characteristics such as hardiness, light value, aesthetics, and soil pH. That site could be used to check on plant suggestions from smaller vendors if they do not have the same plants that we have recommended in the appendices. -12-
  • 13. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Documentation for Use and Maintenance of Solution To maintain the greenhouse, some basic knowledge of gardening is needed beyond simply watering the plants. Soil must be prepared. The indoor soils can be made from 1/3 top soil, 1/3 sand, 1/3 leaf compost. Do not use outdoors soil unless it has been pasteurized. Also, avoid the prepackaged potting soils that can be bought. If buying prepackaged soil is a must, then check the ingredients. Use peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, or sand to make the soil more suitable. Peat moss gives the soil more organic content, keeping the soil loose around the roots and also keeps the moisture in the soil. Perlite makes the soil more porous letting the air get in and breath, keeping the soil fresh. Vermiculite also retains moisture. Sand lets the water circulate freely. There are also some synthetic mixes that are available now in stores. They offer advantages such as uniformity, lightness, no weeks or organisms, easy to buy, and simple to store. However the disadvantages are the plants become top heavy sometimes since the soil is so light, a regular fertilizing program must be held since the soil is not natural. These problems can be solved with a few simple solutions: weighing down the soil with water and using an all purpose and slow releasing fertilizers. Water is very precious to the plants. The plants use the water to absorb the nutrients. Just enough water will create a solution with the nutrients so the plant can take up its “veins” and store the food. Too much water will push the oxygen out of the plant. See Appendix Fd for basic guidelines to watering. Fertilizers are needed to supplement the nutrients that the plant needs. It contains elements such as nitrogen that renew the soil. Fertilizers come in either organic or non-organic states. When it is cold, inorganic fertilizers must be used because organic fertilizers require a temperature over 60 degrees F. General organic fertilizers are animal manures or wood ashes. Light is the most important factor in the growing process and the one that is least likely to be controlled. Light is the source for growth. It provides energy for the photosynthesis that takes place in the plant. There are three categories of plants, ones that require longer daylight, shorter daylights, and those that are indifferent. See appendix for guidelines. Another factor is the temperature. Like the light, plants can be grouped into three categories: Warm, Temperate and Cool; however, almost every plant we have recommended will thrive under the temperate conditions of the greenhouse. Warm is 80- 85, temperate is 65-70, and cool is 55-60. See Appendix Fd for temperature guidelines. For further information on the care of the plants, see Appendix Fd. The recommended plant arrangement in the Greenhouse can be found in Maya sketches throughout the report and in Appendix C. Many of those details are only relevant for trees since pots can be easily moved. Information regarding how often plants should be watered and when they need soil replacement can be found in Appendix Fd. Activities can be found in -13-
  • 14. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Fa. Weeds should immediately be removed if noticed, although this is unlikely because the plants are grown in pots. It may also be necessary to cut branches of any trees if they grow out too far, as well as trim any hanging plants if they grow down too low. For additional instruction on particular plants, contact a preferred Vendor such as Angel Plants. All information pertaining to how many plants should be purchased can also be found in Appendix D along with materials list and cost estimations based on recommendations. Pictures, Diagrams, Technical Drawings, etc… All necessary pictures, diagrams, and technical drawings can be found in Appendix C. -14-
  • 15. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Section 4: Conclusions and Recommendations The greenhouse must be an active and usable educational and therapeutic environment, so we chose potted plants, which are robust in their ability to survive and the variety of activities that they provide. One main aspect of the design is our use of pots rather than plant beds to allow students to bring the plant of their choice to a central table to work on activities in groups ranging from transplanting and pruning to drying leaves. That way, the greenhouse can also foster a social environment. The main varieties of potted plants we have recommended are Begonias, Dracaenas, Chinese Evergreens, and Norfolk Island pines. These plants are common houseplants that have attractive, varied foliage, have health benefits such as filtering the air, and will thrive under the care of the children and provide rewarding gardening experiences which are therapeutic in their own right. We will also provide a potted herb and vegetable garden as well as several varieties of flowers for aesthetics and activities involving sensory stimulation that cater to students with more limited abilities to physically handle plants. Appendix F contains a list of various activities and the plants they involve ranging from drying leaves to seasonal decorations that we recommend for the school. The flowers we have chosen are fairly low maintenance and low cost, but still aesthetically pleasing and can provide visual and aroma therapy. Some of the varieties are Snapdragons, Peonies, and Marigolds. We recommend the use of Pothos and spider plants to hang in pots above the storage and work areas for aesthetic decoration but also because they can be used in hydroponic growth activities for students who cannot work with soil. We also recommend the use Ficus trees in large pots placed on ground level to provide natural barriers to different areas of the greenhouse as opposed to having expensive permanent hedges. Such trees are easy to maintain and can be moved when necessary. Our estimated total cost ranges from $3233.48 for a barebones solution to $7746.82 for a dream solution.. It is derived from the interior design specifications for counter space, and our recommendations for supplies and tools. We have assumed room for approximately 250 total plants with a total plant cost ranging from $2650.00 to $6280.00. The wide range in these costs is due to the large difference in price between sizes of plants and some differences among materials costs. The estimated recommended cost is $5346.35. Our recommended vendor is Angel Plants on long island due to their vast supply and convenience. Their inventory can be found in Appendix Fe. Many of the plants we have chosen do not require soil replacement or fertilizer on a regular basis, so the costs we have provided are for the initial purchase. Replacement costs will depend on price of each bag of soil and the annual plants that the school will need to replace, but they must be ordered based on the needs of the school as they see throughout the year. Due to the simple and conventional nature of our design, PS79 can easily follow our recommendations and provide an environment that meets their needs and the needs of the students while providing a model from which other schools attempting similar projects can draw. -15-
  • 16. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -16- Section 5: Appendices Appendix A: Product Design Specifications Product Title Horticulture and interior landscaping for PS 79M greenhouse Purpose To provide a therapeutic, aesthetic, and educational environment with plants that can be cultivated by the students at PS 79M. Special Features • Potting benches that will be wheelchair accessible. • Activities for students with limited or no ability to use their hands. Need for Product • Many parents cannot afford to provide daily therapy for their children, so the greenhouse would provide free supplementary therapy. • Having the opportunity to work in a new environment with plants on a daily basis will reduce stress and provide a more pleasant school environment. • Many students rely on school to provide their only social interaction with other students. The greenhouse will aid in developing that social environment by allowing students to work in groups. • Many of the students will have difficulty obtaining employment after graduation; through group projects in the greenhouse, students will develop the ability to work in groups, follow a specific set of instructions, and produce a final product • All of these prevocational skills will make the students more viable job candidates. • Some students will benefit specifically by gaining horticulture skills in the greenhouse which may be immediately used in the gardening industry upon graduation Functional Performance • The greenhouse will be the location of daily classes throughout the year, so at all times of the year plants must be available for cultivation and other handling. • Plant distribution must be limited to the space designated by the interior design team and be organized in such a way as to allow all of the students present during a given class period to be occupied. From their numbers we estimate approximately 300 potted plants and three to five large pots for trees. • Plants will be used frequently and possibly handled roughly, so plants must be robust enough to withstand abuse. • The plants chosen must provide therapy through sensory stimulation and hands-on activity. Safety • No poisonous or commonly allergic plants can be present given that students will be handling the plants daily and may attempt to ingest them. • Plants should be labeled properly if they have dangerous thorns or needles.
  • 17. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -17- Quality • We will provide plant descriptions to the safety and signage team so that they can provide educational material and fulfill an important requirement for the greenhouse. • Plants must be resistant to disease to minimize maintenance difficulties for the school. • There must be a base population of plants that germinate easily and require minimal maintenance to prevent deterioration of the greenhouse environment during times when the school may not be able to provide proper maintenance. The reasons for this situation could be insufficient funding or a learning period when the students are still developing proper maintenance skills. Manufacturing • Reliable suppliers must be chosen so that the school can replenish their supply of plants and soil as needed. • If the school builds a relationship with a particular supplier, they may be able to have discounts in future purchases. • Angel Plants, Rusk Institute’s current supplier, is a possible supplier for PS 79M, since it has experience with therapeutic plants and is based in Long Island. Timing • Due to the time and space requirements of the greenhouse, most of the plants cannot start as seeds but rather as seedlings. • The school must balance future purchases of seeds and bulbs vs. seedlings to meet the financial needs of the school, the functional needs of the school, and the therapeutic needs of the students. • We will provide a calendar of seasonal plant activities which is linked with a purchasing schedule with the appropriate types and quantity of plants to purchase. Economic • Fertilizer can be bought, developed from compost, or a combination of the two. Although compost would save fertilizer cost, there will be greater initial costs for the compost method • Because the greenhouse is meant for long-term use, compost is recommended because it would save money in the future and would provide an additional activity for the students. • High quality gloves and pots could be bought at a higher cost, but they will need a storage place and must be replaced if lost. Disposable gloves and cheap pots would cost much less, but they would need to be replaced yearly. • Disposable gloves are recommended because they will not need to be stored or cleaned. More durable pots are recommended because they will be used constantly for planting, so they must be able to withstand several uses. • Choosing plants that require multiple soil pH levels would necessitate the purchase of three different types of soil by the school. That cost could be avoided if all of the plants can grow in neutral soil.
  • 18. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 • Plants themselves should be as low cost as possible while still providing the functional needs of the greenhouse so that the design is more accessible to others and the students learn more practical skills involving common houseplants. • Estimated Total Cost Range: $3233.48 - $7746.82 • Recommended Cost of Plants: $4460 -18- Ergonomic • The plants must serve the wide range of physical and mental abilities of the students and provide therapeutic aesthetics and sensory stimulation. • Some students have developed tactile skills and will be able to cultivate plants in pots and on ground level, whereas other students are confined to wheel chairs and may only be able to touch and smell the plants in a specific position. We must have plants that can be grown in pots and on ground level with varying degrees of robustness to allow students with varying degrees of physical ability to have experience nurturing the plants. • The greenhouse must also contain plants that serve the needs of students who have limited or no ability to cultivate the plants such as flowers or herbs with therapeutic aromas and textures. • Bulbs and seeds must be purchased at the appropriate seasonal time, so students can plant them and see them successfully grow. • A population of plants must be available for transplanting and arranging at all times, so merely having a supply of seeds will be inadequate. • Since the students have allergies that change with the population of the student body, no commonly allergic plants will be placed in the greenhouse. • Since some students may be allergic to soil, plants must be available which can be propagated and grown hydroponically. • Some activities must reflect those that occur in the gardening and landscaping industry so that when the students graduate, they can apply the skills they have learned immediately in the work environment. • No plants can be poisonous because students will be working with them constantly. Ecological • Plants should all be able to survive at room temperature and the humidity of the greenhouse that is decided by the ventilation team. The temperature will not vary with seasons because the Greenhouse must always be a comfortable environment for the students. • In addition to survival, plants must be chosen which bloom and live through normal lifecycles at that static temperature and humidity. Aesthetic • The school has requested that aesthetic plants be placed on the security fence so it is less conspicuous. We will meet that need with varieties of Ivy which can be found in Appendix Dc.
  • 19. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 • We will use varieties of Ficus tree in large pots on the ground to provide aesthetic barriers between different parts of the greenhouse as partitioned by the interior design and accessibility team • A variety of robust hanging plants will be recommended to provide the students with an atmosphere surrounded by plants, which can also be taken down by faculty and used in transplanting and hydroponic activities. • Other aesthetic plants such as highly ornamental flowers which require high levels of maintenance and are expensive are not recommended since it violates the primary practical and economic needs of the school. It also would make the design inaccessible to future schools that would like to use this design as a model for their own. • Most of the general potted plants will have foliage that is attractive enough to provide a strikingly different environment than that to which the students are accustomed. -19- Life Cycle • There should be a mixture of plants that grow year round and those that require seasonal planting. That will allow for a plant population that provides a static environment that can be maintained with low costs and another population which changes seasonally to provide changing aesthetics and activities for the students. • The plants must have staggered blooming/cultivation schedules to provide seasonally varying activities for the students. • A compost heap may be desirable to recycle plants which die seasonally. This would decrease maintenance costs of both dead plants and newly growing plants. • We will refrain from placing plants outside except robust ones that may grow on the security fence due to the inconvenience associated with maintenance and the inability of plants to survive year round in the NYC climate Corporate Constraints • The project timeline has a completion goal within 2007, so any plants chosen would have to be available in large enough quantities by that time. • Since the greenhouse must be functional by that time, it must contain some full grown plants and not just seedlings or seeds. • The school should choose one supplier and build a reliable relationship with them even for convenience even if other suppliers may temporarily have better prices. Social, Political, and Legal Considerations o All of our designs must comply with the ADA regulations o All of our designs must comply with public school regulations
  • 20. Appendix B: Gantt Chart Work Duration Project Schedule for Greenhouse 90 hrs 61 Days Initiating (Week 1) 2 hrs 6 days Preliminary Project Initiation (Week 1) 2 hrs 6 days Determine Team Roles 0.5 hrs 6 days Determine Future Meetings 0.5 hrs 6 days Determine Set Meeting Place 0.5 hrs 6 days Obtain Contact Information from members 0.5 hrs 6 days Planning/Background Information (Week 2-5) 24 hrs 17 days Basic Project Understanding (Week 2-3) 8.5 hrs 6 days Research Previous Greenhouses 2 hrs 6 days Research Indoor and Outdoor Plants 2 hrs 6 days Determine Size of Land and Greenhouse 1 hr 6 days Design Potential Exterior Landscaping 3 hrs 6 days Consider Previous Designs by summer Gateway group .5 hrs 6 days Define Project in-depth (Week 3-5) 15.5 hrs 11 days Meet with clients (teachers and students of school) 3 hrs 11 days Narrow Down Possibilities of Types of Plants 3 hrs 11 days Consider Types of Nutrients and Soils Required 3 hrs 11 days Decide on Potential Exterior Landscaping 3 hrs 11 days Collaborate with Other Groups on Interior Landscaping Design 3.5 hrs 11 days Project Initiation (Week 4-6) 27 hrs 11 days Define Parameters/Specifications for Interior and Exterior Landscape 4 hrs 11 days Decide Upon Types of Plants for Interior and Exterior 4 hrs 11 days Determine Fertilizers and Nutrients Needed 4 hrs 11 days Determine Other Supplies Needed for Plants 4 hrs 11 days Determine Possible Venders 5 hrs 11 days Preliminary Cost Analysis 2 hrs 11 days Preliminary Design for Landscaping 4 hrs 11 days Client Presentation/Design Check (Week 6) 3 hrs 1 day In-Depth Project Design (Week 6-9) 17 hrs 16 days Refine Design Post-Client Presentation 5 hrs 14 days 3-D Modeling of Landscapes 4 hrs 14 days Final Analysis of Plants 3 hrs 14 days Final Analysis of Materials Used for Interior and Exterior Landscaping 5 hrs 14 days Finalizing Design (Week 9-11) 14 hrs 16 days Finalization of 3-D Models 5 hrs 5 days Prototype Construction 5 hrs 5 days Final Cost Report 4 hrs 5 days Final Presentation of Design to Client 3 hrs 1 day November December Project Schedule for Greenhouse-Horticulture & Exterior and Interior Landscaping September October
  • 21. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix C: Technical Specifications (Maya) -21-
  • 22. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -22-
  • 23. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Da: Budget Information and List of Materials Tools were found at http://www.hardwareworld.com/Landscaping--Garden-cIRUC14. -23- aspx Plant price approximations were determined from Angel Plants, Inc. costs ITEM ESTIMATED QUANTITY UNIT COST ESTIMATED TOTAL COST REQUIREMENT/ RECOMMENDED/ DREAM SOLUTION Transplanter 20 $1.88 - $4.52 $37.60 - $90.40 Required Cultivator 20 $1.88 - $4.77 $37.60 - $95.40 Required Trowel 20 $1.93 - $4.77 $38.60 - $95.40 Recommended Bulb Planter 20 $3.57 - $11.21 $71.40 - $224.20 Wish Gloves 40 (can vary greatly) $2.77 (includes S, M, and L sizes) $110.80 Required (quantity depends on how often disposed) Plant Food (Miracle-Gro) 8 (40 lb) $10 for 5 lb $80 Required Pots (Planters) 16 12 8 4 6’’: $1.02 8’’: $1.65 - $1.77 10’’: $2.61 - $2.70 12’’: $3.66 - $12.56 $16.32 $19.80 - $21.24 $20.88 - $21.60 $14.64 - $50.24 Required (plants will most likely arrive in pots) Hanging Pots (Planters) 8 4 10’’: $1.18 - $1.26 12’’: $2.60 - $2.71 $9.44 - $10.08 $10.40 - $10.84 Required (plants will most likely arrive in pots) Pruners 20 $5 - $10 $100 - $200 Recommended Watering Can 10 $4.64 - $5.03 $46.40 - $50.30 Depends on watering method Potting Soil 10 (can vary greatly) $4.10 (16 qt) $41.00 Required Compost System1 1 $125 - $349 $125 - $349 Wish Large Standing Plants 5 - 7 $30 - $40 $150 - $280 Recommended (part of interior design) Major Working Plants 150 $10 - $30 (depends on average sizes ordered) $1500 - $4500 Required (students will take care for these plants) Other Plants 100 $10 - $15 $1000 - $1500 Recommended (students will have planned horticulture activities with these plants) OVERALL TOTAL RANGE $3233.48 - $7746.82 BAREBONES ESTIMATE Plants: $2650 Total: $3233.48 RECOMMEND ED Plants: $4460 Total: $5346.35 DREAM ESTIMATE Plants: $6280 Total: $7746
  • 24. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 1Several compost systems can be found at this website: http://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gardeners- Site/default/ViewSimpleSearch2-Start -24-
  • 25. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Db: Alphabetized List of All Plants -25- American Wisteria Baby’ breath Basil Bayberry Bittersweet Blue Wild Indigo Canna Chinese Evergreen Chinese Lanterns Chives Chrysanthemum Cockscomb Cornflower Curly Mint Docks/Sorrels Dusty miller Fairy fan-flower Ferns Gladiolus Globe amaranth Globe thistle Goldenrod Grape hyacinth Heather Honesty Hydrangea Larkspur Lettuce Lilac Magnolia Marigold Marjoram/Oregano Night-scented stock Pansies Peony Pomegranate Pothos Queen Anne’s Lace Red Edged Dracaena Sagebrush/Wormwood Salvia Snapdragon Spider Plant Statice Strawflower Sumac Swan river daisy Sweet Pea Teasel Thyme Trailing lobelia Vine Lilac Violas Wax Begonia Weeping Fig Yarrow Zinnia
  • 26. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Dc: Plant Descriptions for Highly Recommended Plants POTTED PLANTS -26- Dracaena Genus: Dracaena, Species: marginata (commonly known as Madagascar Dragon Tree or Red Edged Dracaena) Easy to grow, can be in sun or shade, attractive foliage, true of most dracaenas, this is just one particular species. Tolerant to dry soil and irregular watering Chinese Evergreen Genus: Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen can be a common name) Flowering tropical plants, about 20 species, easy to grow, wide range of light, resistant to disease and neglect, variety of leaf types between species, prefer partial shade, moist soil. Can filter the air. Wax Begonia Genus: Begonia, Species: semperflorens (Commonly known as Wax Begonia) Adaptable and forgiving plants, they combine a neat, compact habit, attractive flowers and foliage, and trouble-free cultural requirements. They can yield a long season of blooms while growing in partial shade.
  • 27. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -27- Norfolk Island Pine Genus: Araucaria, Species: heterophylla (Commonly known as Norfolk Island Pine) Norfolk Island Pine enjoy humid environments. With age, and lack of humidity, the needles along the trunk will fall off. Dead, lower branches, are a sign that the plant has been dehydrated. The dry needles will not come back. These plants do best with consistency stay on a watering schedule. Over watering results in sporadic bright yellow needle clusters that come off very easily, and don't come back. HANGING PLANTS Pothos Genus: Epipremnum Species: aureum (commonly known as Pothos) Very effective at removing indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, xylene, and benzene. Studies show that when stimulated with music it gives of a sweet scent similar to Chocolate and Vanilla. Medium indoor light, grows hydroponically (activities can be done with taking cuttings and placing them in water for students who can’t work with soil). Can tolerate much abuse. Spider Plant Genus: Chlorophytum Species: comosum (commonly known as Spider Plant) Effective at removing toxins, can be grown hydroponically (same activities as Pothos), can thrive in almost any condition.
  • 28. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 LARGE PLANTS (for separating greenhouse areas) -28- Weeping Fig Genus: Ficus Species: benjamina (Weeping Fig or Benjamin’s Fig) Tolerance to poor growing conditions, grows best under bright light but can tolerate shade, only requires enough watering to prevent drying out, warning: drops many leaves when relocated as it adapts to new light intensity. Effectively removes indoor air toxins according to NASA VINES FOR FENCE American Wisteria This plant is terrific because of its beautiful blossoms, and easy pruning. However, this plant may be mildly aggressive and strangle nearby trees. Dormant pruning is the best way to maintain this plant, for it controls the plant without sacrificing color. The person in charge of pruning this plant may want to ask t he plant vendor specific directions for how to prune it. Purple Hardenbergia For a hardy, evergreen, twining, woody-stemmed climber, the client may want to purchase the purple hardenbergia. It has dark green leathery leaves and produces a mass of dark purple pea flowers.
  • 29. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -29- Carolina Yellow Jasmine This plant is a nice, fast growing evergreen vine with fragrant flowers that bloom throughout late winter and early spring. Caution! All parts of this plant are poisonous.
  • 30. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Dd: Notes on Other Plants Plant recommendations were mostly based on hardiness and ease of their maintenance, so that all of the plants would be able most likely to survive in any poor conditions or under any potential mistreatment. Note: general categories of plants such as docks/sorrels and grasses are not detailed here. PLANT NAME NOTES RECOMMENDATION -30- LEVEL American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) Propagation: seeds, cuttings, layering; seeds planted late Spring, cuttings taken in early Summer NOTE: can take up to 20 years to flower from seed Medium (propagates easily, very hardy, but may take long time to flower) Baby’ breath (Gypsophila) Propagation: seeds, cuttings, root division before growth starts; divided March to April Medium (special water preference) Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Propagation: seeds, cuttings; seeds planted March to May Medium (special light/soil preference, but propagates easily) Bayberry (Myrica) Propagation: seeds, cuttings; seeds planted late Spring/early Summer, cuttings taken July/August High (propagates easily, very hardy) Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) Propagation: seeds, cuttings, layering; seeds planted February, cuttings taken in December, layering in August High (propagates easily, very hardy) Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) Propagation: seeds, division; seeds planted late Winter/early Spring, divided in Spring Low (special light/soil preference) Canna (Canna) Propagation: seeds, dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs; seeds planted early Spring, divided in Spring Low (special light/soil preference) Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema) Propagation: seeds, cuttings; Warning: causes severe pain in the mouth if ingested Low (although it is hardy and easily propagated, it can cause oral pain) Chinese Lanterns (Abutilon x hybridum) Propagation: seeds, cuttings; seeds planted Spring, cuttings taken early Spring High (blooms repeatedly throughout the year)
  • 31. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 NOTE: Physalis alkekengi is also known as Chinese Lantern, but is very toxic -31- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) Propagation: seeds, dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs; seeds planted April to May Medium (special light preference) Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum) Propagation: dividing rootball, rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs Warning: can cause severe skin irritation Medium (special light preference, skin irritation) Cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata) Propagation: seeds; seeds planted early to mid Spring Low (special light/soil preference, only seed propagation) Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) Propagation: seeds; seeds planted Spring Low (special light/soil preference, only seed propagation) Curly Mint (Mentha spicata var. crispa) Propagation: seeds, dividing rootball; seeds planted Spring, divided anytime (preferably Spring or Autumn) High (very hardy, propagates easily, nice aroma) Dusty miller (Artemisia ludoviciana) Propagation: seeds, cuttings, division; cuttings in late Spring, division in Spring or Fall Medium (special light preference, but drought resistant) Fairy fan-flower (Scaevola aemula) Propagation: seeds, cuttings; long blooming period Low (not very hardy, rather tender) Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) Propagation: seeds Low (special light preference, difficult to propagate) Globe thistle (Echinops) Propagation: seeds, cuttings, root division; seeds planted early Spring, cuttings taken in Winter, division in Fall Medium (propagates easily, drought resistant, but special soil preference) Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) Propagation: seeds, division; seeds planted late Spring/early Fall, divided in early Fall High (although special light preference, propagates easily, colorful, and beneficial) Heather (Calluna vulgaris) Propagation: seeds, cuttings, layering, division; cuttings taken late Summer/Fall, layering in Fall, Medium (fragrant, propagates easily, but special light
  • 32. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 divided in Spring preference) -32- Honesty (Lunaria annua) Propagation: seeds; seeds planted May to June Note: after first sowing, plant self-sows freely Warning: pollen may trigger allergies High (hardy, self-propagates, bright colored, fragrant, but beware of allergies) Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) Propagation: seeds, cuttings, layering Low (special light/soil preference Larkspur (Delphinium elatum) Propagation: dividing rootball, cuttings, air layering Warning: All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested Low (poisonous if ingested) Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) Propagation: seeds High (can be eaten) Lilac (Buddleja davidii) Propagation: cuttings High (beautiful and also fragrant) Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) Propagation: cuttings Warning: poisonous if ingested, skin irritation Low (poison and skin irritation) Marigold (Calendula officinalis) Propagation: seed Note: self-sows High (hardy, self-sows) Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) Propagation: seeds Medium (easy to care for, drought resistant) Night-scented stock (Matthiola longipetala) Propagation: seed Medium (hardy, fragrant) Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) Propagation: cuttings, seed Low (special soil/water preference) Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) Propagation: dividing rootball Low (special soil preference) Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Propagation: seed, cuttings, layering High (Drought-resistant, edible) Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) Propagation: seed Warning: poisonous if ingested, skin irritation Low (potentially toxic) Sagebrush (Artemisia Propagation: seed Warning: trigger pollen allergies High (drought-resistant)
  • 33. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -33- campestris subsp. Caudate) Salvia (Salvia elegans) Propagation: cuttings Warning: N/A Medium (soil preference, fragrant) Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) Propagation: Seeds High (very hardy, colorful) Statice (Limonium platyphyllum) Propagation: seeds; seeds planted March to April High (Easy to grow, hardy, attractive oval leaves that can be dried) Strawflower (Helichrysum petiolare) Propagation: cuttings; cuttings taken from March to May Medium (sasy to grow, silver foliage, but somewhat tender and special light preference) Sumach (Rhus typhina) Propagation: seedlings or fully grown trees Low (special light preference, difficult to maintain, mostly grown outdoors) Swan river daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia) Propagation: seeds; seeds planted March to April Medium (hardy, colorful, but special light preference and difficult to propagate) Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) Propagation: seeds; seeds planted September to May Warning: can produce a strong perfume aroma, peas are poisonous if ingested Low (hardy, easy to grow, but aroma may provoke allergic reactions, and toxic) Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) Propagation: seeds; seeds planted April to May Medium (hardy, easy to grow, visually interesting, but require a year before flowering, biennials) Thyme (Thymus) Propagation: cuttings; cuttings taken May-June Medium (woody aromatic perennial and hardy, but special light preference) Trailing lobelia (Lobelia) Propagation: seeds; seeds planted March to April Warning: pollen may trigger allergies High (hardy, very colorful) Vine Lilac (Hardenbergia) Propagation: seeds, cuttings; cuttings taken August to October Low (special water/light
  • 34. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -34- preference) Viola (Viola) Propagation: cuttings; cuttings only July-August High (interesting black petals, hardy, easy to grow) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Propagation: seeds (common), seedlings High (Hardy, Perenial flower, easy to grow, does not spread uncontrollably, attractive foliage) Zinnia (Zinnia) Propagation: seeds (common), seedlings Medium (colorful flower, grows in any soil, but somewhat fragile and special light preference)
  • 35. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix E: Photographs Illustrating the Team Experience -35-
  • 36. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Fa: Ideas for Horticulture Activities for Students -36- o Hydorponics o Take cuttings from Pothos, Spider plant, Ficus trees, etc… and place them in water for growth o Place them in water and eventually transplant. o Make bark, stump, and leaf rubbings. o Place a mushroom top on a piece of paper to make spore prints, and then spray with acrylic. o Make compost in a large plastic bag. o Add starter soil, compost material, one cup of agricultural lime, and one cup of water. o Have children train ivy around stakes. o Start with three ivy plants in a pot. o Arrange the stakes in the shape of a teepee. o During the winter, make winter scenes on sheets of white Styrofoam. o Evergreen branches for trees (can use Norfolk Island Pines), and spray with artificial snow. o Floral prints o Use construction paper, velvet, satin, or burlap for the background. Pressed flowers are mounted and glued on one at a time. The picture can be covered with clear plastic or glass. o Placemats and bookmarkers o Arrange pressed plant material on a piece of plastic Contac paper. Apply another piece of plastic over the arrangement. The margins can be cut with pinking shears. o Growing herbs o Transplant o Use various herbs for tea: one teaspoon of dried leaves or flowers is used for one cup of tea. If fresh herbs are used, double the amount, and steep in boiling water for ten to fifteen minutes. o Making potpourri o A potpourri is a small compost of exquisite ingredients such as flower petals, oils, spices, gums, barks, and leaves. It is used to refresh and scent the air. o Start to collect the ingredients during the summer and throughout the fall. The flowers should be selected for their color and fragrance. o Rose petals are commonly used because they retain some of their fragrance. o The petals of carnations, geraniums, heliotrope, honeysuckle, lavender, lilac, and spice pinks can also be sued. o Separate the petals and place them with salt, orrisroot or gum benzoin, various spices, and brown sugar.
  • 37. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 o Layers of the ingredients are placed in a jar, and these are aged for three to -37- six weeks. o The mixtures should be mixed twice a week. Once blended, the mixtures will last for years. o The following are potpourri recipes. General Mixture o 1 gallon dried flower petals o 1 box plain salt o 1 tablespoon allspice o 1 ounce oil of bergamot o ½ ounce orrisroot powder o Small box of ground cinnamon o 1 box bay leaves Mint Potpourri o 2 cups dried lavender o 1 cup dried mint leaves (peppermint, spearmint, orangemint) o ½ cup dried thyme o ¼ cup rosemary o A few drops of lavender, thyme, and bergamot oil o Dried red geranium petals, blue bachelor’s buttons, and delphiniums o Plant seeds in the form of a child’s initials. o The following plants grow quickly. The growth can be measured day to day. The following are quick to germinate and grow fast: castor beans, sunflowers, morning glory, pumpkins, gourds, zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, radishes, wax beans, green beans, and beets. o A whistle or horn can be made from a sqush leaf stem. The hollow leaf stem or petiole becomes solid where it joins the leaf blade. Cut the leaf stem from the vine and cut it again through the solid part near the leaf. Make a slit in the stalk about ½ inch up from the solid part. Put the end with the slit in your mouth and blow. Drying plants and flowers: Red: cockscomb, peony, pomegranate, roses, strawflowers, sumac, zinnia Pink: delphinium, gladiolus, globe amaranth, larkspur, peony, snapdragon, statice Yellow: acaia, chrysanthemum, goldenrod, marigold, strawflower, yarrow, zinnia Blue: cornflower, delphinium, globe thistle, hydrangea, larkspur, slavia Green: ferns, foliage, grasses, hydrangea, seed pods Orange: bittersweet, Chinese lanterns, marigolds, strawflower, Zinnia Violet: gladiolus, heather, lilac, statice, stock Gray: Artemisia, bayberry, dusty miller Brown: canna, cones, dock, seed pods Tan: grasses, leaves, seed pods, wood roses Black: baptisia pods, magnolia leaves, teasel White: baby’ breath, honesty, peony, Queen Anne’s Lace, statice, strawflower. Small compact drying method
  • 38. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 1. Collect the plants on a bright, sunny day before they reach full maturity, but not after their color deigns to deteriorate. 2. Remove all unnecessary leaves. The shaping of the plants can also be done at this time. The bottom of the flower original stem can be removed and replaced with florist’s wire inserted through the bottom of the floral head. 3. Tie the plants in a small bunch and suspend them upside down. This keeps the stems straight and the flower heads upright. 4. Hang the plants in a dry, warm location with good ventilation. Do not cover or enclose them in a closet. Do not expose them to direct sun. It takes about 8-10 days for the majority of plants to dry, but it depends on humidity. Note: this information was taken directly from Horticulture for the disabled and disadvantaged. Citation information can be found in the bibliography -38-
  • 39. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Fb: Planting Details for Some Vegetables QuickTime™ and a TIFF (LZW) decompressor are needed to see this picture. Note: this information was taken directly from Horticulture for the disabled and disadvantaged. Citation information can be found in the bibliography -39-
  • 40. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Fc: Details for Starting an Avacado Tree -40- 1. Cut into your avocado carefully, so as not to injure the pit located in the fruit's center. Carefully remove the pit, and set it aside. Use the avocado meat to create the tasty dip/topping known as guacamole. 2. Gently wash the avocado pit, removing all avocado flesh from the pit. 3. Holding the pit "narrow" (pointed) side up, stick four toothpicks into the middle section of the pit at even intervals, to a depth of about 5 mm. 4. In a small, slender container (preferably glass), add water until it reaches the very top rim. Your container's opening should be wide enough to easily accommodate the full width of the avocado, but not too much wider. 5. Set your avocado pit (with inserted toothpicks) on the top rim of the container. The toothpicks should sit on the rim of the container, while keeping the pit only half-submerged in the water. 6. Set the avocado-topped container in temperate, undisturbed place-- near a window or other well-lit area--to begin the rooting and growth process. 7. Change the water every 1-2 days to ensure that contaminants (i.e. mold, bacteria, fermentation, etc.) do not hinder the avocado sprouting process. Ensure that the base of the avocado always remains moist and submerged in water. 8. Remember: Wait patiently. The avocado takes several weeks to begin to root. Over the next 2-3 weeks, the avocado's brown outer layer will begin to dry out and wrinkle, eventually sloughing off. Soon after, the pit should begin to split open at the top and bottom. After 3-4 weeks, a tap root should begin to emerge at the base of the pit. 9. Continue to water the plant accordingly, being careful not to
  • 41. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -41- disturb or injure the tap root. Continue to allow the avocado pit time to establish its roots. Soon, the avocado will sprout at the top, releasing an unfolding leaf-bud that will open and begin to grow a shoot bearing leaves. 10. When the roots are substantial and the stem top has had a chance to re-grow leaves (after at least one pruning), your baby avocado tree is ready to be planted in soil. Remove the sprouted pit from the water container, and gently remove each of the toothpicks. 11. Use a 20-25 cm terra cotta pot filled with enriched soil to 2 cm below the top. A 50/50 blend of topsoil and coir (coconut fibre) works best. Smooth and slightly pack the soil, adding more soil as needed. Once the soil is prepared, dig a narrow hole deep enough to accommodate your avocado's roots and pit. 12. Carefully bury the avocado pit in the soil such that the top-half of pit shows above the surface of the soil. Pack the soil lightly around the pit. 13. Water your plant daily or enough to keep the soil moist. Avoid over-watering to the point that the soil becomes muddy. If the leaves turn brown at the tips, the tree needs more water. If the leaves turn yellow, the tree is getting too much water and needs to be permitted to dry out for a day or two. 14. Continue to tend to your avocado plant regularly, and in a few years you will have an attractive and low-maintenance tree. Your family and friends will be impressed to know that from an avocado pit, salvaged from your guacamole recipe, you have cultivated and grown your very own avocado tree. Note: This information was taken directly from <http://www.wikihow.com/Plant-an- Avocado-Tree> citation information in bibliography
  • 42. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Fd: Guidelines for Care of Plants Watering Guidelines: 1. Overwatering causes root injury and death of plants. Learn to water when the plant needs it. Feel the soil. More plants die of overwatering than from any other factor. 2. A cool environment requires less water than a hot, dry one. 3. When a plant is growing new leaves or producing flowers, it needs more water. 4. Plants with heavy, thorny, or waxy leaves need less water than the thin-leaved varieties. Water cacti once every 2-4 weeks in the summer, and once every 2 month in the winter. 5. Wet the soil until the excess water drains off. 6. Water less with plastic pots, more with clay pots. 7. Small pots dry out faster, as do hanging plants. 8. If the plant is rootbound, it will need more water than when just starting to fill the -42- pot with roots. 9. Newly transplanted seedlings or repotted plants need less water until the roots get established, but do not let the seedlings dry out. 10. Water “sick” plants sparingly. The roots are weak and they are likely to rot. 11. Water with tepid water; cold water can shock and cause leaf damage. 12. Water from the tap may contain chlorine and it should stand overnight before being used. Avoid water that is softened with chemicals. Use rain water or cover the surface of the soil with charcoal to strain out some of the chemical impurities. 13. Rain water or soft water is ideal for watering. It is slightly acid, and it favors the growth of soil bacteria which break down organic matter in the soil. 14. Hard or alkaline water contains salts of calcium and magnesium, in addition to chlorides and sulfates. High concentrations of salts may injure the plant’s roots and leaves. 15. Dry heat indoors during winter means more frequent watering. With indoor plants, a lack of humidity is detrimental due to excessive evaporation. Increase the humidity by placing a layer of damp pebbles in trays under the pots or by spraying the plants with a fine mist everyday. Do not mist plants such as cacti or succulents, or those with fuzzy leaves. Lighting Guidelines 1. Vegetable plants grow better in full sunlight than in the shade, and some need more sun than others. 2. Some indoor plants can stand direct sunlight, but most prefer a relatively strong, filtered, or diffused light. 3. A plant that lives with insufficient light might look well for months, but it is actually suffering. The amount of light that a plant needs is more than most people think. 4. Artificial lighting may be used alone or in combination with natural light.
  • 43. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 5. Use the shadow test to determine the amount of light. Hold a piece of paper up to the light and note the shadow it makes. A sharp shadow means that you have bright or good light, whereas a barely visible shadow means dim light. 6. A full sun requirement means that the plant will need sun for at least half of the day. Indirect or partial sun means that the sun should be filtered through a curtain. Bright light means no direct sun, but the room should be bright and well lighted. Shade-loving plants should be kept in a well-shaded area with no direct sun at all. 7. When plants are not getting enough light, the lower leaves die, and the new leaves are small. When plants get too much light, they wilt, fade, or burn. 8. Rotate plants so that taverage date for the first killing frost in the fall. he leaves -43- get an even distribution of light. Temperature Guidelines 1. Temperatures that are comfortable for people are also satisfactory for most indoor plants. 2. Most plants prefer to bge 10 or 15 degrees cooler at night. 3. Keep plants away from drafts, air conditioners, and radiators. 4. All plants benefit from proper temperature and a gentle circulation of air. 5. Most plants do not like sudden changes in temperature. Note: this information was taken directly from Horticulture for the disabled and disadvantaged. Citation information can be found in the bibliography
  • 44. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix Fe: Inventory List from Angel Plants -44-
  • 45. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -45-
  • 46. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -46-
  • 47. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -47-
  • 48. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -48-
  • 49. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -49-
  • 50. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -50-
  • 51. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -51-
  • 52. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -52-
  • 53. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -53- Appendix Fg: Seasonal Activities Table I. Availability of typical greenhouse crops Month Crop produced January spring bulbs, azalea, primula, cineraria, calceolaria, cyclamen February roses, spring bulbs, oxalis, cineraria, calceolaria, primula, cyclamen, azalea, lilies March hydrangea, kalanchoe, cineraria, calceolaria, primula, cyclamen, azalea, lilies, bedding plants April spring bulbs, azalea, lilies, gloxinia, heimalis begonia, bedding plants, flowering baskets May hydrangea, azalea, kalanchoe, lilies, gloxinia, potted roses, late flowering bulbs, geranium, new guinea impatiens, bedding plants, flowering baskets June gloxinia, heimalis, begonia, foliage, hibiscus, gerbera, potted bedding plants July gerbera, gloxinia, streptocarpus, heimalis begonia August hibiscus, azalea, heimalis begonia, foliage plants, field chrysanthemum September foliage plants, gloxinia, azalea, hibiscus, ornamental pepper, field chrysanthemum October hibiscus, foliage, flowering cabbage, flowering kale, cyclamen November poinsettia, cyclamen, Christmas cactus December poinsettia, Christmas cactus, cyclamen, heimalis begonia Table II. Seasonal plant material produced for specific holidays Occasion/season Preferred type* Plant material Valentine's Day cut anything red, cut roses, potted tulips, azalea, cyclamen Easter potted spring bulbs, Easter lily, hydrangea, chrysanthemum, azalea Secretary's Day both cineraria, spring bulbs, potted chrysanthemum, primula Mother's Day both roses, hydrangea, spring bulbs, azalea, potted chrysanthemum, gloxinia, African violet, early bedding plants, fuchsia Memorial Day potted geranium September potted foliage plants Thanksgiving cut chrysanthemum Christmas potted poinsettia, cyclamen, Christmas cactus * The holidays are denoted as either 'cut' or 'potted' based on whether cut flowers or potted plants are the primary products sold. Note: This information came directly from http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/greenhou/ghprodct.htm. Citation information can be found in the bibliography
  • 54. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix G: References Consulted for Project BBC-Gardening. BBC. 10 December 2006. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening> Begeman, John “Create your own backyard garden” Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information. 1 December, 2006. <http://ag.arizona.edu/gardening/news/articles/1.3.html> “Gardening Australia” ABC. 19 October, 2006. <http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1460240.htm> “How to plant an Avocado tree” wikiHow 4 December 2006. 13 October 2006 <http://www.wikihow.com/Plant-an-Avocado-Tree> Olszowy, Damon R. Ph.D. Horticulture for the disabled and disadvantaged Springfield, -54- Illinois: Thomas Books, 1978. Summer Winds. “Antigonon leptopus” 10 October, 2006 <http://www.summerwindsaz.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plan t_id=1646> West Virginia University “Greenhouse Production” West Virginia University. 25 October, 2006. <http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/greenhou/ghprodct.htm> Windows to my World. “Carolina Jasmine” 20 October, 2006. <http://www.sd1new.net/GardenPages/carolina-jasmine.htm>
  • 55. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Appendix H: Copy of PowerPoint Slides Team 6: Interior & Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Primary Facilitator: Ini Li Secondary Facilitator: Eugene Yao Conflict Manager: Kevin Luke Process Observer: Mike Aronov Time Keeper: Jason Eckstein -55- v Problem Statement to improve the students’ quality of life within the school by creating an environment that provides therapy and builds prevocational skills to choose which plants we want to place in the greenhouse in order to address the wide range of specific disabilities of the students, while providing a social, therapeutic, and educational environment I
  • 56. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Summary of Presentation Functional Requirements Provide a list of plants Preliminary Maya design of plants -56- inside greenhouse Instructions on care for plants Horticulture-related activities for students Summaries of potential costs I Design Specifications Need for Product Provides Therapeutic/Social Environment Build Prevocational Skills Performance Requirements Year Round, 100% Student Participation Sensory Stimulation Aesthetic Plants Hands on Activities Robust Plants Service Environment Room Temperature Comfortable Humidity Static Conditions Throughout Year J
  • 57. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Main Design: Plant Distribution -57- J Main Design: Potted Plants Dracaena Marginata Norfolk Island Pine Potted Herbs: Mint, Basil Thyme, etc… Easy Vegetables and Fruit: Lettuce, Radishes, Grapes J Carolina Yellow Jasmine
  • 58. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Main Design: Trees Flowers Benjamin Fig Ficus Ficus Rubber Tree -58- Pansies Dahlia J Main Design: Hanging Plants Spider Plant Pothos J
  • 59. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -59- Maintenance Use the correct type of soil Water according to guidelines Apply fertilizer as needed for nutrients Make sure light is appropriate for each plant Prune plants to avoid overgrowth E Activities Students can make flower bookmarks from dried leaves and potpourri to bring home Activities may reflect the season or holiday Herb and Vegetable Gardens can be grown in pots and used for aromatherapy and cooking E
  • 60. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -60- Activities Cntd. Avocado pit growing Place pothos and spider plant cuttings in water Flower drying Cost Analysis Barebones Estimate: Plants: $2650 Total: $3233.48 Dream Estimate: Plants: $6280 Total: $7746 K
  • 61. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 Cost Analysis (cont’d) Recommended Estimate -61- Plants: $4460.00 Tools: $886.00 Total: $5346.35 Tools: shovel, fertilizer, replacing annuals K Conclusion Three categories of plants: potted for activities, trees for section separation and atmosphere, and hanging plants for aesthetics and some activities Activities that cater to all students Estimated Cost Basic: $3233.48 Recommended: $5346.35 Dream: $7746 M
  • 62. Mike Aronov, Ini Li, Kevin Luke, Eugene Yao, Jason Eckstein Team 6: Interior Exterior Landscaping and Horticulture Advisor: Emily Persson Final Design Report December 11, 2006 -62- Future Work Hydroponics Look further into additional vendors and activities Aquatic Plants M