Sofia T. Soudavanh Garden Update

In late May, students and faculty members gathered to plant the Sofia T. Soudavanh Garden as a living memorial to Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) candidate Sofia Soudavanh, who died in August 2020. Among Sofia’s last requests was that those wishing to remember her do so by planting things. Responding to that request, students selected a site adjacent to our main building, Temple Buell Hall; we developed a memorandum of understanding with Facilities and Services/Grounds; and we hosted a student planting design competition. The chosen design was developed by two of Sofia’s classmates and features nine perennial herbaceous species, including showy ‘Storm Cloud’ Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), Iron Butterfly Ironweed (Vernonia lettermannii ‘Iron Butterfly’), and Allium ‘Summer Beauty,’ as well as more subtle yet beautiful Carousel Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Carousel’), Common Oak Sedge (Carex pensylvanica), and Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia). Nine weeks later, we are pleased to report that the plants have been settling in nicely.