The Big One: A healing sanctuary

Company: Lawn Management
Location: Houston

MD Anderson is one of the foremost cancer hospitals in the world. Patients come from all over to seek treatment at the hospital.

Lawn Management has maintained the 300-acre campus for 11 years. The gardens are used by cancer patients receiving treatment, their family members and staff members. There is one on-site supervisor and a four-person crew for the North Campus, which encompasses the main garden. The South Campus has a five-person crew.

“We work with MD Anderson on creating a beautiful environment that encourages patients to have a better perspective, outlook and energy, and we like to uphold MD Anderson’s standards by providing the services we do,” says Brittany Weber, landscape consultant for Lawn Management “We don’t just rush through and mow, blow and go. We pay attention to the details and make sure we use plant science knowledge to take care of the plants there.”

The company uses only organic materials and battery-operated equipment, Weber says.

“Because MD Anderson is an all-organic site, we learn about the plant science and integrate that into our practice so we give them the best plant treatments that we can,” she says.

The project earned Lawn Management a Silver Award from the 2020 National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Awards of Excellence program.

Photo: Bryan Malloch

The seasonal color at MD Anderson is designed, installed and maintained using organic amendments only.  

Photo: Bryan Malloch

Lawn Management maintains a tiered landscape behind the MD Anderson fountain. The plants within this tiered landscape that are not hedged are azaleas.

Photo: Bryan Malloch

This section of the Dorothy Hudson garden is called the Chrysalis Project because the plants are installed and maintained with butterflies in mind. 

Photo: Bryan Malloch

MD Anderson Cancer Center’s patients come from all over the world to receive treatment. Lawn Management maintains the landscapes around this building, including this space known as the Well of Life. The Well of Life is a relaxing and rejuvenating space with a shaded garden.

Photo: Bryan Malloch

The plant pallet in this perennial installation consists of rudbeckia, coreopsis and various salvias. The company strives to install and maintain pockets of pollinator gardens intertwined within the landscapes. This area is along a sidewalk that leads to the main building of the hospital.

Photo: Bryan Malloch

The healing gardens of MD Anderson encourage direct interaction between patients and nature. The rose gardens have more than 300 roses that are planted and maintained by the team. 

Photo: Bryan Malloch

The MD Anderson Prairie is a hidden gem within the bustling Houston medical center. The company maintains the lively prairies, bordering mulch rings, lush zoysia lawns, winding pathways and the surrounding landscape. To assist the integrity of the prairies, the company keeps a close eye on the development of native plants through the growing season and mechanically removes invasive plants. The prairies provide food, shelter and water to pollinators, birds, amphibians and mammals.