LPRD to lose 76 years of combined history as two longtime horticulturists retire

Kevin PowellCity, Parks & Recreation

On Tuesday, Sept. 14, Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department will face a future without the knowledge of two of its most senior employees, Crystal Miles, horticulture and forestry manager, and John McDonald horticulture field supervisor, as both will be retired from the City of Lawrence.

While Lawrence Parks and Recreation celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2021, both Miles and McDonald have been working with the department for 40 years and 36 years respectively, essentially for half of the time the department has been in existence. These two horticulturists have made a lasting impact on the City of Lawrence, creating and maintaining the landscapes around the city that make it unique but also welcoming. Through the course of their careers with Parks and Recreation, Miles and McDonald have been instrumental in some well-known projects, such as the Japanese Friendship Garden and the French-style garden at the Lawrence Union Pacific Depot.

Miles’ passion for horticulture began while taking Stan Larson’s landscaping classes and Stan Roth’s biology classes during her time at Lawrence High School. Shortly after graduation, she joined LPRD as a seasonal employee. Her service continued while she pursued a degree in horticulture at Kansas State University, returning to work for the department during summer breaks.

In 1976, she relocated to Stockbridge, Massachusetts to begin an internship for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Two years later, in 1978, Miles worked at Pence’s Garden Center, which occupied the site at 15th Street and Learnard Avenue in Lawrence. By 1981, she joined Parks and Recreation as a supervisor for the horticulture division, moving on to become a manager in the 2000s, a position she continues to maintain today until her retirement later this month.

“There’s always something new,” Miles said. “I work with really good people, so it’s easy to stay engaged and interested.”

McDonald, originally from McPherson, Kan., attended Kansas State University and was only a year behind Miles while on campus.  He even worked at Pence’s Garden Center in Lawrence from 1980-1986, just two years after Miles departed the garden store.

Despite these close encounters, the two never officially met until McDonald interviewed and began his career with the City of Lawrence in 1985. He moved to Lawrence when his wife took a teaching job in Olathe, Kan., and was hired by Miles as one of five equipment operators within the horticulture division. He quickly moved into the role of supervisor.

One of the most interesting projects for the two horticulturists was the Japanese Friendship Garden, located at 1045 Massachusetts St., McDonald said. The design of the garden incorporates plants native to both Kansas and Japan, representing the connection to the Sister City of Hiratsuka, Japan. While working on the project, they had the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse assortment of people, from community volunteers, employees with the City, and officials from Hiratsuka, who travelled to Lawrence for the dedication ceremony on Oct. 26, 2000.

Another project, the Lawrence Union Pacific Depot garden, was a project in which Miles was particularly passionate. The garden was designed to mimic traditional French-themed flower gardens, boasting a spectacular array of colors in the summer. Limestone boulders were harvested from around Lawrence to incorporate into the landscape, which wasn’t an easy feat for a small team of horticulturists. One somber yet strong element that sits in the garden is a row of evergreens, symbolizing a line of WWII soldiers waiting to board a train out of Lawrence. These local design elements helped to shape the garden into what it is today.

For McDonald, it’s hard to pick a single project that was most important to him. “I tend to look at the growth of the community as a whole,” McDonald said.

Growth also posed the biggest challenge to the horticulture team, in the form of the city expansion, the variety of plants and an ever-changing job. Over time, their positions has evolved to include an underlying commitment to sustainability. Plant selection is important to promote native insects and other pollinators, which are crucial to a healthy ecosystem, Miles said. Caring for plant collections that need personal attention requires dedication.

“If I don’t get the floor swept today, I can get to it tomorrow,” McDonald said jokingly. “If I don’t get the plants watered today, there may not be any plants left by tomorrow.”

Miles and McDonald, along with the rest of the “plant geeks” (as they call themselves), have planted more than 20,000 trees in Lawrence over their careers. This has helped contribute to Lawrence being named a “Tree City USA” city every Arbor Day for 43 consecutive years, as well as being a recipient of a Tree City USA “Growth Award” in many of those years. One of the criteria of being named for the awards is public education and McDonald has taught hundreds of kids how to plant trees through scouts groups, school celebrations of Arbor Day and volunteer groups.

“We speak for the trees,” Miles commented with a laugh, referencing the popular Dr. Seuss story The Lorax. “Engineers speak for the roads or the bridges, and we speak for the trees.”

Both Miles and McDonald plan to spend more time with family, including their grandchildren and possible travel.

A career in horticulture requires a lot of dirty work and hands-on labor, along with creative minds to compose attractive, yet functional gardens and green spaces.

Perhaps McDonald said it best, “you can’t have a green thumb without getting brown knees.”

The job may be hard, but the rewards are endless for these horticulturists, who will get to see the fruits of their labor continue to grow in Lawrence for years to come.