Gardens that Glorify God
by Laurie Williams Sowby
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Gardens around LDS Church buildings reflect spring beauties; gardeners' goal is to create gardens which praise the Creator rather than their designers.

All kinds: Planted in clumps for visual effect, bulbs and flowering plants in various sizes and colors grace the 35-acre LDS Church grounds in downtown Salt Lake City.
(Photo by Laurie Williams Sowby)

SALT LAKE CITY -- Peaceful pleasures lie within the gardens around Temple Square and the LDS Church Office Building in downtown Salt Lake City -- by design.

"The gardens' sole purpose is to lead men to God," says Peter Lassig, who is about to retire as head of Grounds Services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has been designing the gardens since he first volunteered at age 14 and has worked for the department since 1956.

Although the grounds are appealing year 'round, Lassig's purpose is especially evident in springtime when the 35-acre complex is abloom with color.

Color by design: Raised beds sport spring blooms in shades of pink and lavender near the Tabernacle on Temple Square. (Photo by Laurie Williams Sowby)

It's a magical place when tulips, ranunculus, poppies and pansies abound. Even perennials that most of us won't see blooming in our own yards until summer are blossoming in the church gardens, thanks to good soil, skillful groundskeepers and willing volunteers who keep the place looking good in every season.

The goal of the gardeners, according to Christena Gates, director of garden tours and guides for Grounds Services, is "to let people see the beauty of Nature in the gardens and not the designers who designed them."

Adds Lassig, "The flower beds themselves are spontaneous, made to reflect the genius of the Creator rather than the artfulness of the designer."

But it doesn't happen by accident.

A fulltime staff of 34, plus 20-30 seasonal workers, put in more than 100,000 bulbs each fall, hoping to see them in full bloom as General Conference approaches in early April. Weather permitting, crews start sprucing up the place in March.

Say ahhh: Spectacular fountains and floral displays make the Church Plaza a favorite destination in spring. (Photo by Laurie Williams Sowby)

On three Saturdays in May and October, volunteers from Logan to Springville descend on the grounds to help make the seasonal change. In addition, church service missionaries help out several hours each week, among them 15 who are able to serve in the gardens despite their disabilities, according to Gates.

At the church's greenhouse near the Utah State Fairpark a few blocks west, gardeners spend the winter months cultivating a half million perennials, including pansies in unusual shades, grown from seed. Those pansies go into the gardens in the fall, alongside
tulip bulbs, for spectacular color in the spring.

In May, tulip bulbs are pulled out and planted in parking strips and other such places around church buildings, then replaced by summer annuals. (Narcissus and hyacinth bulbs are left in place to naturalize.) New tulip bulbs are ordered from growers in Holland
for the next fall. As the gardens wane in October, grounds crews turn their attention to putting up Christmas lights and decorations. By March, they're working on spring gardens again.

Brightly blooming: Red tulips, whose bulbs are imported from growers in Holland, is the result of last fall's planting.
(Photo by Laurie Williams Sowby)

"Because of Peter's philosophy," says Gates, "the gardens end up in a formalized layout with spontaneous arrangements. This creates a sense of order for peaceful relaxation." She adds that the arrangement of rows of trees, hedges, squaring off and circling by walkways, patios and other features create patterns that give a sense of order to the gardens.

Spring dance: Bronze figures dance amid tulips in Dennis Smith's "Joyful Moment" on the LDS Church Office Building Plaza. (Photo by Laurie Williams Sowby)

Temple Square, the Church Office Building Plaza, the Lion House and the Beehive House nearby beckon with glorious gardens. The plaza offers a serene scene of water and colorful flowers. Fountains, waterfalls, and thousands of flowers greet visitors who
happily just sit and enjoy. Many also find great photo opportunities, sighting the east face of the Salt Lake Temple in their viewfinders.

Main Street Plaza -- between the Church Office Building and Temple Square -- has become a place for quiet reflection amid its sculptures, planters, paths and pool. On the north end, raised beds and huge pots bring the color to eye level, with the Conference Center in the background

You can catch a view of the new Conference Center and its rooftop gardens from the Joseph Smith Memorial Building's observation windows several floors up. (The center's rooftop gardens were closed to the public after an accident two years ago but are now open again.)

New view: From Main Street Plaza, the Conference Center can be seen beyond a berm boasting spring blooms.
(Photo by Laurie Williams Sowby)

A gate opens between the plaza and Temple Square. It's a pleasant walk around the grounds, where hanging baskets on the wall between the tabernacle and temple overflow with colorful trailing plants, raised planters are filled with harmonious color, and trees
sport white blossoms.

The gardeners will tell you that a couple of their secrets are the soil (they mulch twice a year and use Utelite, an expanded shale that holds moisture) and planting clumps of the same color together for visual effect. But it's possibly the higher motive that really makes it all work.

Spring scene: The Salt Lake Temple serves as a backdrop for trees, fountains and colorful planters on the LDS Church Office Building Plaza. (Photo by Laurie Williams Sowby)

Lassig sums it up: "The gardens include a plethora of flowers to help people appreciate God and to create a setting for man's contemplation of the infinite."

-- Park at the ZCMI Center, Crossroads Mall, or the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (two hours free with validation from either of its rooftop restaurants) Mondays-Saturdays.

-- Free garden tours may be scheduled May-September, and volunteer church service missionaries also go out to speak on gardening at the invitation of groups. To schedule a tour or a guest speaker, call Christena Gates at 240-5916. To volunteer to help with fall and spring gardening, call Kathy Mills at 240-4204.

-- Free Garden Talks are presented in Brigham Young Historical Park (northeast of the Church Office Building) Wednesdays at 8 p.m. during June and July and at 7:30 p.m. during August. Parking info: 240-5916.

© 2003 Meridian Magazine