In 1948, twenty years before the University of Alberta in Edmonton offered a department of landscape architecture, R. Hugh Knowles was hired as the campus Grounds Superintendent. He would remain with the university for 36 years, and the campus would become his laboratory. It is often said that Knowles turned the campus into a veritable park.
Knowles, an Ontario native, had received his Agriculture degree in Guelph (OAC), then headed west to work with renowned architect Stanley Thompson on the campus. By 1953, still in charge of the grounds, he had become an Assistant Professor of Horticulture and site planner for the university. A few years later, he had earned his MS (U of Alberta, 1957), and in the 60s, branched into landscape architecture (Michigan State, 1965).
The campus landscape today still brilliantly reflects Knowles exploration of plant hardiness and propagation on the prairies. He planted extensively, experimenting with new species, and enriching the grounds with a living legacy of unique, mature specimens. (Among some 80 tree species on campus, he included numerous rare species such as two Dahurian shagbark birch, and the only black walnut on campus, which he transplanted from the backyard of a former tuck shop to the Faculty Club.)
Knowles became an internationally respected horticulture scientist, developing a variety of hardy species for the prairies, including several edible pears. Through his profitable work to commercialize the Banff Springs Bluegrass, the university was able to fund annual student scholarships for years. His work inspired further research and use of the campus as a learning landscape.
Knowles was also an active member of the Western Canadian Society for Horticulture where, working with other research scientists, he recognized the need for a reference book. Woody Ornamentals of the Prairies (first published in book form, 1989), became a classic, often considered a gardener’s bible.
Knowles also was instrumental in the development of the Red Deer College campus, and actively engaged in land reclamation. He became a frequently-consulted pioneer of impact assessment methods, and continued to volunteer his expertise with such groups as the Wascana Centre Authority in Regina, and the Alberta Society of Landscape Architects (President, 1974-76).
The Canadian Society for Horticultural Science presented him an Outstanding Individual Award, and the CSLA with a President’s Award of Excellence (1995) and life membership (1993). The university originally named the Math/Physics courtyard “Hugh Knowles Court” in his honour.
Sources
- Changing the Face of Canada, Linda Le Geyt, Volume 2
- University of Alberta North Campus Open Space Plan (2014)
- Canadian Journal of Plant Science (Canadian Society for Horticultural Science)
Photos
- Lead Photo: Canadian Journal of Plant Science (Canadian Society for Horticultural Science)
- Campus Photos from University of Alberta North Campus Open Space Plan (2014). The University of Alberta campus landscape is a living legacy of tree-lined alleys, promenades, and open spaces, rich in unique and mature tree species and seed sources.
- Photos of tree species (Buckthorn and the Dahurian Shagbark Birch) from “Fantastic Trees and Where to Find Them,” by Matthew McCreary, The Quad, 2019
- Woody Ornamentals for the Prairies (no credit)
