photo of Martin Moser and Kevin Kimball

LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture students may well have been just as pleased as WBRZ contest winner Shane Mike of Denham Springs to participate in the station’s recent $20,000 Yard makeover contest. The contest enabled the students to manage a substantial extracurricular project and make great business contacts along the way.

The 5th year students, Martin Moser, Michael Porter, and Kevin Kimball, took a blank slate of yellowing lawn with a sliver of concrete patio in the Livingston Trace subdivision, and turned it into an oasis of flowerbeds, citrus trees and pond cypresses. They also created three separate spaces in the yard including a new patio, a secluded shady contemplation area, and an outdoor café area. The students took on the project as volunteers, not as part of any required school activity.

The project, which combined aesthetics and function, was a great surprise to the homeowner, who was working in Alabama for the entire installation and, according to Moser, hadn’t expected quite the transformation his yard underwent. “The backyard was void of shade so we put in taller trees as well as fruit trees which are productive as well as evergreen,” Moser added. “The client entertains a lot and especially appreciated the three separate spaces we created.”

While the students provided yard design, plants for the contest were provided by Louisiana Nursery, installation was provided by Turf-Scape, and accessories were provided by Sabine Pools, Spas, & Furniture. Moser said all of the providers were knowledgeable in their fields. “It was nice to work with people who do good quality work,” he said. “I feel confident we’ll work with them professionally in the coming years.”

To view a clip that aired on WBRZ with before and after photos, visit: http://www.wbrz.com/player/?video_id=11331

CONTACT: RENEE SMITH (225) 772-6296 /rbache2@lsu.edu