Operations & Maintenance Efficient Landscape Design and Rain ...
Operations & Maintenance Efficient Landscape Design and Rain Gardens Efficient Landscape Design (ELD) The City of Summit currently demonstrates the principles of efficient landscape design (hereafter, “ELD”) at the municipal level and will continue to do so in the future. Also for many years, the City has used a Rutgers Cooperative Extension booklet titled, “Landscaping for Water Conservation – A Guide for New Jersey”, as a guiding reference; this publication can be found at http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/downloadfree.asp?strPubID=E080. Theodore Shelton, Ph.D. and Bruce Hamilton, Ph.D. co-authored this resource which addresses selecting low maintenance, xeriscaping plant material to plant, serving as an effective tool in ELD. The trees planted on the City’s sidewalks and municipal gardens are carefully chosen by John Linson, the City Forrester, based on their level of maintenance, size, growth habits, etc. in relation to the proposed area of planting. According to Mr. Linson, choosing the right trees for the right spots and diversifying the trees planted dramatically decreases the amount of maintenance required for each tree, saving both time and resources, especially water. For example, in the City’s numerous small sidewalk gardens, Mr. Linson plants exclusively compact trees. Because these trees are relatively small, their roots do not interfere with the surrounding sidewalk and thus limiting the maintenance required on both the trees and the sidewalk. In addition, the City of Summit and Mr. Linson also make sure to buy trees and plants native to New Jersey and have been reducing the use of annual flowers recently as perennials bloom more often and require less maintenance. Two examples of Summit implementing ELD practices are the islands on Karen Way and Windsor Road, in Exhibit A. During the reconstruction of the two traffic islands, drought tolerant, low maintenance plant material was selected to replace inappropriate material which did not stand up to the harsh environment found in these two rotaries. For example, river stone was used as a border around the curbing where the concentration of road salts is the greatest. For the island renovations, neighbors of all ages volunteered and helped with the planting process. The plants are local species, thrive as under story plantings beneath oaks, are not deep rooted, and are deer resistant. The plantings leave an open border around the circle, where the river stones are, minimizing the effect of winter salt and sand applications. After the rock edging and landscape plants were put in place by the City, the residents of Windsor Road gathered to plant bulbs in the circle. Also for the Windsor Road island, slate from a neighbor’s patio was reused to make the walkway. Another Windsor Road family donated a supply of paving stones and bricks that created a small paved area at the center of the circle. At the Windsor Road island, the following plant materials were used: holly, skimmia, azalea, boxwood, pachysandra and leucothoe. At the Karen Way island, the following plant materials were used: liriope, ornamental grasses, spirea, viburnum, barberry, flowering dogwood and dwarf-winged euonymus. Summit’s major landscaping project over the next decade or so will be the renovation of the Village Green. This area consists of four greens bordering Broad Street, all located between Summit Avenue and Maple Street. A very large portion of this project involves making the renovated Village Green as environmentally friendly as possible. The Master Plan includes an extensive irrigation system for all four parts of the Village Green, a suggested plant list intended to limit maintenance, and a proposed list of sustainability measures. This list includes suggestions such as the “harvesting of rainwater for use as irrigation water,” the “creation of storm water infiltration within planting areas or large lawn expanses,” the “use of recycled materials” in the project, and “strategies such as reduced chemical fertilization, composting, not using leaf blowers, and increased soil aeration”. The City of Summit plans to start the renovation in the near future. The fully renovated Village Green has potential to be one of the most efficient landscape designs in northern Jersey. The finalized edition of the Master Plan can be found at http://cityofsummit.org/pdflibrary/VillageGreenMasterPlan_Final_web.pdf, complete with “before” and proposed “after” pictures.
The City of Summit continues to look for opportunities to implement ELD principles on municipal and other community properties. Rainscaping The City of Summit has recently installed two demonstration rain gardens on municipal property - one in front of the middle school, and the other in front of the educational building at the City’s Reeves-Reed Arboretum, exhibit B. Both were installed as educational projects under the tutelage of Union County Extension agent, Madeline Flahive DiNardo. Both involve on-going educational programs. The press release appended below describes the rain garden at the middle school. Details about the rain garden at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum are documented for certification in the appended photos. Additional educational outreach and description is below by the Arboretum’s Director of Education, Jackie Kondel and Christine Lijoi, K-8 Science Supervisor of Summit Public Schools. “I use the rain garden as a teaching tool with my school field trips. Specifically we have incorporated the Rain Garden as one of our stops during the Hands to Nature field trips. We explain to the students the importance of the garden in filtering contaminants and preventing them from entering the storm sewers. These field trips, funded through grants from Novartis and the Turrell Foundation, bring second and third grade students from Newark to the Arboretum for a field trip focusing on nature and animals.” – Jackie Kondel
“Environmental Action Club Plants a Rain Garden - Members of the Environmental Action Club assisted by eighth grade community service volunteers worked with agents from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Program to install a demonstration rain garden in front of the middle school. “The garden is designed to intercept, treat and infiltrate stormwater at the source before it becomes runoff. The plants are native to the region and help retain contaminants that could otherwise harm nearby waterways.” states the sign erected near the garden. Hopefully, community members will be inspired to install a rain garden on their property. Madeline Dinardo, Amy Boyagian and Jillian Thompson from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension donated their time and labor to construct the garden. The City of Summit’s Department of Public Works assisted in the excavation. Science supervisor Christine Lijoi and Social Studies teacher Jennifer Mitterko worked with the club to raise money to purchase the plants. In addition, the Summit Area Development Corporation donated $500.00 to the rain garden project.” - Christine Lijoi The City of Summit continues to look for opportunities to create rain gardens on municipal properties.
Exhibit A – Islands
Karen Way Island
Karen Way Island
Windsor Road Island
Windsor Road Island
Windsor Road Island
Windsor Road Island
Exhibit B – Rain Garden
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Preparing the ground in front of the educational building at the Reeves Reed Arboretum
Local landscapers learn by doing
Class photo in front of the plantings
Rain Garden in its glory August 2009
The City of Summit continues to look for opportunities to implement ELD principles on municipal and other community properties. Rainscaping The City of Summit has recently installed two demonstration rain gardens on municipal property - one in front of the middle school, and the other in front of the educational building at the City’s Reeves-Reed Arboretum, exhibit B. Both were installed as educational projects under the tutelage of Union County Extension agent, Madeline Flahive DiNardo. Both involve on-going educational programs. The press release appended below describes the rain garden at the middle school. Details about the rain garden at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum are documented for certification in the appended photos. Additional educational outreach and description is below by the Arboretum’s Director of Education, Jackie Kondel and Christine Lijoi, K-8 Science Supervisor of Summit Public Schools. “I use the rain garden as a teaching tool with my school field trips. Specifically we have incorporated the Rain Garden as one of our stops during the Hands to Nature field trips. We explain to the students the importance of the garden in filtering contaminants and preventing them from entering the storm sewers. These field trips, funded through grants from Novartis and the Turrell Foundation, bring second and third grade students from Newark to the Arboretum for a field trip focusing on nature and animals.” – Jackie Kondel
“Environmental Action Club Plants a Rain Garden - Members of the Environmental Action Club assisted by eighth grade community service volunteers worked with agents from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Program to install a demonstration rain garden in front of the middle school. “The garden is designed to intercept, treat and infiltrate stormwater at the source before it becomes runoff. The plants are native to the region and help retain contaminants that could otherwise harm nearby waterways.” states the sign erected near the garden. Hopefully, community members will be inspired to install a rain garden on their property. Madeline Dinardo, Amy Boyagian and Jillian Thompson from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension donated their time and labor to construct the garden. The City of Summit’s Department of Public Works assisted in the excavation. Science supervisor Christine Lijoi and Social Studies teacher Jennifer Mitterko worked with the club to raise money to purchase the plants. In addition, the Summit Area Development Corporation donated $500.00 to the rain garden project.” - Christine Lijoi The City of Summit continues to look for opportunities to create rain gardens on municipal properties.
Exhibit A – Islands
Karen Way Island
Karen Way Island
Windsor Road Island
Windsor Road Island
Windsor Road Island
Windsor Road Island
Exhibit B – Rain Garden
.
Preparing the ground in front of the educational building at the Reeves Reed Arboretum
Local landscapers learn by doing
Class photo in front of the plantings
Rain Garden in its glory August 2009
