Dale Deblois

Dale Deblois is Colby's staff horticulturalist, responsible for maintenance and plantings of trees, ornamentals and flowers on campus. He spoke to Colby about Mayflower Hill's horticultural past, present, and future.

When people look at the trees on campus, they think of it as a permanent thing, that trees have always been there, they always will be. But that's not the way it works, is it?
No. With this master plan that we're doing, we kind of went back in history and tracked the changes of the campus. It was just open farmland not that long ago.

How far back was it just pasture?
Well, if you get into the forties it's pretty open.

So all of these big trees are the same age?
Yes, and the trouble is that if some malady comes through, it's going to just take out everything, pretty much. So you have to sustain what we have.

So keeping big trees for a long time is a problem?
Very much so. Most of the big trees seeded in. Like the big pines everywhere? A lot of those seeded in areas that weren't being used. They came in and we let them take over. Natural selection took place.

What do you do when they start going?
Succession is what you want. We're trying to put hardy, urban tolerant hardy plants in. For foot traffic, lack of soil. All those factors.

So these may be trees that also are developed for cities?
To a degree. We just want to have hardy plants. We're trying to get away from the pesticide requirements to keep these plants alive.

So what are you planting now?
Basically maples, but different strains of maples. Instead of just generic swamp maples, now there are different strains for different shapes and different environments. They're native plants that have been modified. Borers don't bother them and beetles don't bother them.

So how many trees do you plant in a year?
I usually use between eight and ten thousand dollars annually in woody ornamentals, trees, flowers. In the inventory I've got a little over three thousand trees and shrubs. Which is just on campus proper--not out in the woods. Right now it has a value of just a touch under five million dollars, if you were to replace everything. People don't connect those two. It's just a tree? Well, take down that tree and put another decent-sized tree in its place. . . It's an investment.

Are there any trees on campus that are particularly significant?
We have two down at the president's house, one given to us by the Arnold Arboretum for their centennial, when President Strider was here. I've got it in "The Biggest Trees in Maine." It's a castor aurelia tree. It's almost a prehistoric tree. It's got thorns all the way from the top to all the way to the ground. It's kind of neat. And the beech, obviously, behind the Spa. And then there's some other trees that were dedicated, like the Bullock Tree on the library lawn.

What about the willows?
The willows have a legacy. The Boardman Willows were planted down at the old campus every graduation. Earl Smith was telling me that every graduation, for every alum who had died that year, they would plant a willow on the river. Those trees at Johnson Pond were twigs from willows down there.

Do they thrive?
Yeah. We planted seven in the last two years. We lost four or five big ones. Just like you and I, there's a lifespan there. So we just keep supplementing. Because if you look at some of the photos that have been done of the campus over the years, that's one of the constants. Looking toward campus with those willows, it's gorgeous. We want that to continue.

There should be a sign down there.
Well, we don't put much in for plaques. It can become a glut. There are some campuses in Massachusetts. Every tree has a plaque. It detracts from the beauty of it.

How many elms are left on campus?
Of the big ones, less than ten. Which is too bad. I'm trying to preserve what I can. And I plant eight to ten a year, disease resistant elms to give a flavor of the past.

Do you look at the campus differently than the average person?
I like to think so. A lot of people drive around and think it's gorgeous, but I'm more critical. I have to be.

What do you think of it?
I'm biased, but I think this is the prettiest campus in the state of Maine. It's open but it's not without flavor. In 1999 we were number two in Princeton Review in terms of beauty of campus. That's kind of a feather in the hat.

You think trees have a lot to do with that?
Absolutely. And with this new master plan we have, it's going to be fun. We're getting new buildings but we're also going to be changing the feel a little bit. We're putting a lot more vegetation back in.

Like what?
More trees and shrubs, canopy trees but smaller ones, so we don't just put all maples. We'll have a storied effect. As you come down the library mall, instead of just having a single row of trees going down, there'll be some supplemental trees. Those will be places for people to sit, to study, to read, to be with friends.

Have you ordered them already?
No. It's somewhat budgeted but it's down the road apiece.

Do you have a favorite type of tree?
Probably red oak. That's what lines Mayflower Hill Drive as you come from the [Millet] Alumni House. It takes a while to get established but they're a strong no-maintenance tree. They also hold their leaves longer, which is a maintenance nightmare.

What does the horticulturalist do to get ready for spring?
Planning and purchasing, then you get into your winter prunings, and then spring starts and off you go.

What kind of trees do you have at home?
At home, I have an old farm. So I have some big old maples and ash. Just naturally seeded things. It's funny, like a carpenter's house isn't always perfectly built? Because they do it all day? Mine's the same way.