Bear Hugs What Makes a Beautiful Campus Even Prettier? Hydrangeas! Nurseryman Jim Sollecito ’76 has given his alma mater 1,000+ plants—a gift to students, inspired by his late Cornellian daughter “Bear Hugs” celebrates heartwarming stories of Cornellians on the Hill and around the world. Have an idea? Email us at cornellians@cornell.edu! By Melissa Newcomb Each summer and fall, a tapestry of hydrangeas in brilliant shades of pink, red, and white blooms throughout the Hill, dazzling Cornellians and visitors alike—just like Jim Sollecito ’76 planned it. The CALS alum, who owns Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in nearby Syracuse, has donated more than 1,000 plants in 268 varieties to Cornell over the years, with the aim of enhancing our already-gorgeous campus with vibrant splashes of floral beauty. Sollecito with dried hydrangeas at his nursery. How massive an assortment of blooms has Sollecito given to his alma mater? It’s in contention for a Guinness record as the world’s largest hydrangea collection. But as Sollecito stresses, he didn’t gift the plants for his own sake. “It’s all for the students,” he says. “When they come to the beautiful campus in August with their parents, there’s something nice for them to see. It blows you away.” When [the students] come to the beautiful campus in August with their parents, there’s something nice for them to see. And Sollecito was intentional about the type of plants: the hydrangeas he chose are panicles, meaning that they flower on new wood each year. As he explains, other common types flower on old wood—so if Ithaca has one of its infamously cold winters, the buds may be killed and would not bloom the following summer. A pop of subtle color outside Schoellkopf Stadium. “The light went off in my head when I thought of panicle hydrangeas,” recalls Sollecito, noting he originally learned about them in an ornamental horticulture class, “because it is the perfect plant to have on campus.” While the plants have been distributed throughout the Hill, some main locations are on and around the Ag Quad (including in Minns Garden and near Warren, Stocking, and Wing halls) and in the Botanic Gardens. A sign at the nursery notes the plants’ virtues. Sollecito is a longtime supporter of Big Red wrestling—so the grounds near the Friedman Wrestling Center feature large masses of his donated hydrangeas. Members of the team have even helped with the plantings around campus (as have horticulture students). “It gives the building such character,” says head coach Mike Grey ’11. “In 2020, the facility was renovated and there was no landscaping around it; we are thrilled Jim brought these beautiful plants.” Nina Bassuk ’74—a fellow CALS alum and friend of Sollecito who recently retired as director of the Urban Horticulture Institute—long taught a class titled Creating the Urban Eden, in which students plan and execute an on-campus gardening project. “Hundreds of students over the years have planted the hydrangeas,” says Bassuk. “Alumni come back years later and get to see the beautiful work they have done.” Brightening up the Wrestling Center. While Sollecito’s extensive hydrangea collection has by now graced much of the Hill, the first plants he gave can be found between Schoellkopf and the Fischell Band Center as part of a memorial to his daughter, Hannah Sollecito ’11, who passed away in 2016. Lovingly nicknamed “Hannah Hydrangea” by her parents, she majored in international agriculture and rural development in CALS and played first trumpet in the Big Red Marching Band. “She took great pride in walking around the Cornell campus identifying all the plants,” adds Sollecito. The campus memorial to Hannah. In the landscaping business since he was an undergrad—he got into it, he says, “because jobs were hard to come by”—Sollecito opened his Syracuse nursery a half-century ago. It now offers more than 800 varieties of shrubs, trees, perennials, and edible plants, selected to thrive in the soils and conditions of Central New York. But hydrangeas remain one of his favorites, thanks in part to their beauty and longevity. “It’s a fascinating genre of plant,” he says. “They hold their color throughout the season. They are different sizes, and some have scent. They aren’t messy, because they don’t make seeds. The butterflies love them—and so will you.” Top: Hydrangeas outside Uris Hall. (Campus photos by Jason Koski / Cornell University; all others by Melissa Newcomb / Cornell University.) Published August 15, 2024 Comments Lawrence L Benvenuti 15 Aug, 2024 Jim Sollecito is an amazing man !!! Reply Donna De Garmo Willis, Class of 1974 17 Aug, 2024 I had no idea. What a wonderful tribute. Thank you Jim. Reply Nancy Clark 19 Aug, 2024 Hydrangeas are one of my favorite plants. I look forward to looking for all your varieties when next on campus this fall! Thank you ! Nancy Williams Clark,’62 Reply Richard Collins 17 Aug, 2024 Jim – thanks for sharing; a great tribute by your family. With admiration rich Collins Reply Irene Hendricks, Class of 1986 18 Aug, 2024 What a wonderful and selfless gesture. Thank you Jim. Reply David Wright, Class of 1975 18 Aug, 2024 Congrats to Jim on his vision Is a list of Hydrangea varieties available Reply Ralph Wilhelm, Class of 1967 18 Aug, 2024 Jim: I am SO PROUD of you for your continual giving to OUR University…particularly in Hannah’s memory. So kind and thoughtful of you to do that. Hope to run into you again soon on the campus, or maybe at OUR Fraternity function. Best wishes to you, Ralph Wilhelm ’67 Reply Simon Krieger, Class of 1976 18 Aug, 2024 Jim- What a beautiful, and I do mean BEAUTIFUL gift to Cornell students! Thank you from a fellow classmate. Hope to see you at our 50th Reunion, if not before. Reply Tom Shineman, Class of 1965 18 Aug, 2024 Good going Jim. Reply Alan R Fridkin, Class of 1965 18 Aug, 2024 Those perennial flowers should lift many spirits on our magnificent campus. Thanks, brother! Reply Kerry Novick, Class of 1988 18 Aug, 2024 This is such a generous and meaningful gesture, thank you Jim Sollecito. You will be remembered on campus for years to come, as will your daughter. I would have loved to see hydrangea’s around campus when I was there. Another reason to come up for a visit! Reply Carol Bradford, Class of 1974 18 Aug, 2024 Jim, I was touched to learn that you had chosen to remember Hannah by planting hydrangeas on campus. I imagine that many of us will remember her each time we see these beautiful shrubs. Thank you! Reply Ken Vineberg, Class of 1969 18 Aug, 2024 I’ve been wondering for a while now about the very lovely and completely unexpected proliferation of Hydrangeas on campus. Pleased to find that like all great ideas, it’s the inspiration of a single mind. Thank you Jim!! Reply Lindsay Cavner, Class of 1997 18 Aug, 2024 This article touched my heart. What a great tribute to his precious daughter! I love how Jim is adding beauty and positive symbolism to the campus. Reply BRMB Trumpet Player, Class of 2010 23 Aug, 2024 What a beautiful tribute to Hannah. I was lucky enough to spend 3 years in marching band with her. She was a great person and is sorely missed. Reply Victoria Seligman, Class of 1988 14 Sep, 2024 This is so touching and beautiful! It must brighten so many students days to see these on campus! Reply Marlene, Class of 2001 15 Sep, 2024 I recently took my family to campus over the summer and we noticed the beautiful, large hydrangeas. We marveled at them because they are far larger, fuller, more vibrant and fragrant and have far more color varieties than any others we’d ever seen! It’s great to know where they came from. Thank you Jim for making our alma mater even more beautiful Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. 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