The last two presidents of Mississippi State have had to resign because of gardening.
The first guy used state money to plant dozens of magnolias at the home of the state higher education commissioner.
The second guy dug up all the daffodils on campus because he doesn’t like how they look when they finish blooming.
… [T]he elimination was seen as unnecessary by horticultural enthusiasts.
Senior ornamental horticulture major Mark Cooper said he heard that the daffodils were going to be replaced with another flower.
“He [the ex-president] thought the daffodils were unsightly after they bloomed,” Cooper said. “[He] mentioned that roses should replace the daffodils, which is ironic because roses are much harder to maintain.”
Plants and soils science professor Brian Trader said an unspecified small number of the dug up daffodils were donated to the Horticulture Club. He said some of the flowers were sold as part of a fundraiser while others were replanted.
“The Horticulture Club has put quite a few daffodils around Dorman Hall during the fall semester,” Trader said. “A small portion was sold in the horticulture sale as a way to fundraise.”
Trader said daffodils may not be as visually appealing after blooming but their complete disposal is foolish.
“Daffodils are definitely not a nuisance, but after they bloom they are not too pleasing to the eye,” he said. “It is important every three to four years to thin them out, but having a full fledge[d] removal is unnecessary.”
As the daffodils again become a part of the MSU scenery, Cooper said he has one piece of advice for new MSU President Mark Keenum.
“After the daffodils with Foglesong and the magnolia tree scandal with Watson, my advice to the new president is to stay far away from landscaping,” he said.
January 27th, 2009 at 1:21PM
Our flower beds here are dug up and re-planted at least three times over the course of the year.
January 27th, 2009 at 1:40PM
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