Queen’s University is known as one of the most beautiful campuses in Canada, and it’s not only because of the striking limestone buildings.

There also is a natural beauty to be found here in the trees and gardens that fill the grounds.

However, that beauty, the sweet fragrances and vibrant colours, doesn’t just happen. There is a massive amount of work and planning that goes into maintaining such a lofty standard.

From caring for ash trees more than 100 years old to planting brilliant beds of annuals to cutting the grass and watering planters, the spring, summer and fall mean a never-ending list of tasks for grounds manager Matthew Barrett, an International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist who also studied at Niagara Parks School of Horticulture with a diploma in ornamental horticulture and completed an internship at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew in London, England.

Fortunately, Mr. Barrett points out, he has an excellent crew that he can rely on to keep Queen’s looking fabulous.

“I look at the university as a little city within the city. I went to school to learn how to maintain everything but it’s like a big park to me and I’m just here to guide things along and make sure that everything is looking good,” he says. “But a lot of it comes back to my crew too. I’ve got a really good crew. The grounds crew is really dedicated to the way the grounds look and really takes it personally.”

And it shows.

For the annual flower beds and planters, planning starts the year before and orders are placed at greenhouses to ensure the selected plants are ready at the right time. Then comes the actual planting, with thousands of plants being put into the ground by hand.

The beauty is not only found in the flowers. There is an amazing array of trees at Queen’s, some of which, Mr. Barrett says, are unlikely to be found elsewhere in Kingston or southeastern Ontario. That’s thanks in part to the microclimates that are created on campus by the buildings and proximity to Lake Ontario.

As an arborist, the collection of mature trees and the diversity of species are particularly special to Mr. Barrett.

“A lot of people don’t realize that we have an arboretum on campus around Summerhill,” he says. “There’s a lot of old, interesting trees within the arboretum that we’re trying to preserve and we’re trying to add new ones to keep the species diverse within that microclimate that we have there.”

Summerhill also is a favourite location for Mr. Barrett, which links him to Queen’s much longer than his three years in his current position. Growing up in Kingston, his mother worked at the university and he attended a number of Queen’s camps during the summers of his youth. Lunches were spent on the shaded green expanse of Summerhill, and helped draw him back to his hometown.

When it comes to the planning of the gardens, Mr. Barrett says that his team aims for originality and present something new each year for the Queen’s community and visitors to the university. The problem then becomes trying to top the year before.

It’s a lot of work but there are rewards.

“You’re trying to keep everyone guessing and thinking ‘Oh, what is that annual they are using this year?’ or ‘What is that flower?’” he says. “I think one of the most rewarding parts of the job is when people call and ask you planting questions or tree questions or what are the types of flowers you have planted in Agnes Benidikson field? It makes you realize that people are noticing what’s going on around campus and what the crews are doing and what I’m trying to help do.”

For Mr. Barrett and his crew each season brings new tasks, new chores that need to be done. Preparing the gardens and grounds in spring and then it’s a summer of trimming hedges, constant weeding and cutting the grass. Autumn means planting tulips and collecting the leaves that carpet the campus in hues or red, orange and yellow, a truly massive endeavour. And when that is all done, it’s time to start clearing the snow from the walkways and steps.

Looking ahead to next year, there are big plans for the university’s 175th anniversary.

Mr. Barrett says his team is looking to make a big splash, including carpet bedding, where logos and other designs can be made with flowers, as well as hanging baskets on the lampposts along University Avenue.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting year. We’ve got a lot of plans. We’ll be planting tulips and daffodils this fall for the 175th. Normally we do about 6,000-8,000 tulip bulbs, but this year we’re going to try to do 15,000-18,000 just to give it a nice pop and show for the 175th,” he says. “It’s a lot but it’s amazing what the crew can get done in a short amount of time.”

This article is published in the Aug. 11 edition of the Gazette. Pick up your copy of the newspaper at one of the many locations around campus.