Design often begins with imagination and research. That leads to sketching ideas, planning spaces and envisioning the ideal way that people might one day experience them. However, translating those ideas from concept to reality is a much different challenge that requires adaptability, problem-solving and a willingness to get your hands dirty.

Abbi McDonald and Drew Pehlman, fourth-year landscape architecture students in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, discovered this firsthand during their internship this past summer at Garvan Woodland Gardens, an outreach center of the school, located in Hot Springs.

The current summer internship program at Garvan Gardens, funded in part by the Bob and Carol Bledsoe Endowed Fellowship and the Garden's Art Endowment, has provided Fay Jones School students summer learning opportunities since 2018. As participants in the esteemed program, interns have participated in research of innovative nature-based learning opportunities, design and construction of a variety of garden spaces, and collaborated with the U of A's Department of Human Environmental Sciences and with the Fay Jones School's Urban Design Build Studio (UDBS) to develop design concepts for the Ross and Mary Whipple Family Forest Education Center.  

This year's internship program grew beyond the typical summer tenure to include the students' spring semester. Students focused on the design and fabrication of the "Pollinator City" garden installation, originally designed by Scott Biehle, teaching associate professor of landscape architecture in the Fay Jones School. Students helped install the exhibition at Garvan Gardens in May and continued their work with an expanded vision.

"We kind of had to figure out our place and how we fit into the garden," Pehlman said. "I think throughout the summer, we kind of worked our way through it and found our place there."

At first, the pair thought they would spend the summer maintaining Pollinator City, which won entry to the 2024 Chaumont International Garden Festival. The installation challenges visitors to imagine a world in which birds, bees, insects and bats have evolved to become the urbanizers of the world.

At the beginning of the summer, McDonald and Pehlman were prepared to focus their efforts on plant performance and upkeep of small structures within the installation. However, working from the desire to provide a comprehensive learning and professional work experience for the students, their supervisors - Minnie Hahn, senior manager of design and display, and Karen Malone, horticulture manager - expanded their scope, challenging them to contribute to design and restoration projects beyond the installation's borders.

Stabilizing Daffodil Hill

One of their most impactful projects was the rehabilitation of the Three Sisters of Amity Daffodil Hill. When McDonald and Pehlman first visited the site, they immediately noticed areas of erosion caused by the hill's steep grade, aging plant materials and increased weather activity. Working with Garvan Gardens' construction and horticulture teams, the interns regraded the slope and added nearly six inches of soil to create a more stable, sustainable foundation.

"It's one thing to be told about certain interventions for sustainability," McDonald said, "but it's another thing to also see the impact of not doing those things. So, those big core ideas that we are learning in class, we could actually see the positive and negative impacts in real life."

To guide their work, the students used ArcGIS, a geolocation and mapping technology that helps designers analyze terrain, visualize environmental data and plan spatially informed solutions. They learned the software from Robyn Lane, teaching assistant professor of landscape architecture in the Fay Jones School, who helped them understand how digital mapping could strengthen their on-site decision-making.

"We do our best to give students the tools they need to succeed, and Abbi and Drew took those tools and ran with them," Lane said.

Lane noted that, while it's always meaningful to see students apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, the most rewarding part is watching their professional growth. Only a few weeks into their internship, McDonald and Pehlman recognized that Garvan Gardens could benefit from the use of geospatial technologies to help manage the landscape, and they instigated conversations about future collaborations.

"They saw a need, advocated for a solution and took the initiative to make change happen in a way that can be transformational for the relationship between Garvan Gardens and the Landscape Architecture Department," Lane said.

McDonald and Pehlman used ArcGIS to document plant species, analyze soil conditions and create detailed maps of the landscape, giving them a clearer understanding of how the site functioned as a system. They hope the Garvan Gardens team will continue using this technology to inform future projects across the gardens.

"The garden is delighted in the meaningful contributions of the interns as additional creators and thinkers," said Becca Ohman, executive director. "Their energy and passion for their work was evident and was supported by their ability to apply their skills to problem-solve and expand design solutions. Their supervisors and coworkers noted that their investment in Abbi and Drew's education and professional training also advanced the garden's long-term practices. That's an excellent success story!"

"That's what I am most excited about," McDonald said. "We're kind of changing the language and the communication skills between the office designers and the people on the grounds team."

Collaboration Across Occupations

Throughout their internship, they worked with many different departments at Garvan Gardens, such as construction, horticulture and forestry. Pehlman said that all of these areas are necessary to create healthy and resilient gardens.

"I realized how much of a team is needed," Pehlman said. "Like a diverse team is needed to take on a project. It really takes the combination of those different sciences and disciplines to really form a cohesive project that works and is resilient."

Both students noted that many design school projects are largely conceptual, developed at a computer with limited consideration of implementation.

"In design school, you usually have very little parameters, and you get to do almost whatever you want, but that's not always realistic," McDonald said. "It's super important to read the landscape, to think about the design. Your design should be helping and integrating into whatever is already happening and building off a system."

Working in Garvan Gardens brought those ideas into sharper focus, showing them that translating design from the studio to the field requires stewardship, collaboration and compromise.

"You have to come to terms with the way the office wants to do things, versus how we think we needed to approach these projects, and where the garden itself is moving forward. The relationship between ground working and architectural landscape design needs to be a better connection," McDonald said.

Not only were they able to learn to collaborate across skills, but they also made friends along the way who taught them lessons outside of their degree. Daxton Peachee, a U of A sophomore student majoring in horticulture, was the third and final intern in this summer group.

McDonald said they gained valuable insights into plants, noting that Peachee's deep knowledge of both the visual and practical aspects made it a great learning experience and offered a better understanding of how certain plants are grown.

"I learned a lot about things like basil and onion," McDonald said. "Daxton is obviously super knowledgeable in those things and how they look aesthetically, but also how functional it is. So, it was really great to work with him and learn more about the production of those type of plants."

Their time at the gardens taught McDonald and Pehlman valuable lessons about the real-world application of design and the importance of collaboration across disciplines. McDonald noted that working alongside specialists in carpentry, horticulture and forestry showed her how essential diverse expertise is to the success of any project.

"There should be an ongoing conversation between an architect, a maintenance worker and someone with forestry knowledge. I think that's what I learned the most — everyone needs to have a voice. It's just easier that way, and that's how we can move forward in the best way possible," McDonald said.

"We hope that their experience offered a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness among all who contribute to the design, construction and lifecycles of a public landscape," Ohman said. "Public gardens hold a remarkable place in our society. They have the power to inspire through beauty and a connection with nature, offering places of rest and respite. They also carry the profound opportunity to teach and to cultivate a spirit of stewardship. Developing professionals who embrace these values as part of their practice is a primary goal of our internship program."

The experience also prompted both McDonald and Pehlman to reconsider their post-graduation paths. They agreed that seeing the garden's naturalistic approach to design broadened their perspective on the possibilities of working beyond urban landscapes.

"To other students thinking about taking this internship, I would tell them not to be afraid," Pehlman said. "You don't need to go into a big corporate firm as a student. This opportunity gives you the freedom to figure out who you are — and to have a really fun experience doing it."