Landscape Meeting Review
Up to Citylights (Archived)
Landscape Meeting Review
Posted by
tw
at
May 09. 2001
Landscape Meeting Review
Meeting date: Wednesday, April 25, 2001, 8:00am
Note: this is a summary of the meeting, as accurate an account as I can best recall.
The lobby bustled with morning activity when we gathered together to begin our tour around the building. We started by looking at the two potted topiaries flanking the automatic doors. Bill will replace them both and add an assortment of flowering plants around the base. As we passed the empty sidewalk plots, Mike Basile noted that there was a current effort to have the city replace the trees as well as a simultaneous process to choose metal guards meant to discourage pets and people from treading on the soil. Then on to the oaks and poplars which line the eastern and southern sides of the garage. This variety of tree, the Lombardy poplar, was used to generate an "instant landscape" due to its rapid growth and relatively short life span of 10-15 years. The original landscape architect intended to use the poplars, which I mistook for an aspen, as "filler" until the oaks grew larger; the poplars would be removed in the future to make room for the more stable oaks (Personally, I find the lively green and fluttering poplar leaves far more attractive than the motionless oaks, but I digress). At the northeast corner, we stopped in front of the unsightly dead poplar. I pressed the question of whether Bill had plans to remove the dead tree and replace it with some low annuals. He replied that he would dig up the tree and could put in some flowers - suggesting an assortment of ideas - from wild flowers to a plain patch of ivy. Given his lack of any strong recommendations, I think the board should make a clear and decisive decision for that space to prompt an action by Harder Landscape. In my opinion, one of these three ideas would be satisfactory after Bill removes the tree and leftover ivy:
1) Single 5-7 ft. conical, thin, or shaped topiary surrounded by impatiens.
2) Assortment of tall wild flowers.
3) Direct species replacement of the Lombardy poplar.
I recommend that the Board to choose the first option because it is an inexpensive and quick option, further providing continuity of aesthetic form with the trees; the cost should be covered by the contract. A manually controlled drip line provides water for this area. It was established at this meeting that Desmond and the Citylights staff are entirely responsible for watering all the plants at Citylights. The Harder Landscape staff of 3-4 men visit once a week, while Bill himself will make monthly visits to Citylights. On those days we will meet to discuss the progress and make changes as necessary. The Harder proposal included prevention treatments for the poplars against insect infestation and a fungicide spray to treat the white-powder fungus on the oak leaves. The wire restraints which have kept the poplars upright when they were young now restrict their branches and cause them to bend backwards toward the building. They were installed by the sponsor three years ago but have not been adjusted and I recall that it was agreed that Desmond would attend to this. Bill agreed to remove the little poplar suckers growing from the roots of trees. As for planting annuals at the base of the poplars and oaks, Bill said he would install an assortment of petunias, begonias, and impatiens.
The cold wind continued to blast us mercilessly as we proceeded towards the western plaza area. An automatic timer controls the sprinkler system for the entire western plaza. Because the pipes in the watering system are vulnerable to freezing, Desmond must wait until the last frost night before reactivating the system. At the time of the meeting, the water system was inactive (still in winter mode). I think May 1 seems to be a safe date to activate the sprinklers, but perhaps Bill should be asked for his professional opinion. Bill described the subsoil as highly compacted during the construction of Citylights and the surface soil as slow to drain, and pointed out the white tubes protruding from the soil that allow Harder Landscape to monitor water drainage. The ring of evergreen hedges around the southern group of willows showed damage from skateboarders who likely fell on the plants. It was also observed that the hedges had gaps and needed replacements or additional plants to fill in the gaps. The willow trees grew from the original trunk diameter of approximately 4 inches to 8 inches. Unfortunately, those trunks which are not vertical cannot be coaxed upright, despite efforts in previous summers to pull them straight with guide wires. The magnolia blossoms were already gone, with tiny leaves starting to sprout from some trees. The weakest magnolia tree may need to be replaced eventually, if the board decides to approve the action, but the current strategy will be the same as for the other magnolias. Bill’s staff will trim away dead branches and fertilize the beds three times this season, once at the beginning, once in mid summer, and once in the fall; this is standard and not aggressive care. Bill and Desmond both agreed that some of the damage in the western plaza was caused by the school children playing and running over the ivy ground cover and swinging from the low hung tree branches. We discussed different strategies for protecting the beds from being trampled, including low metal guards and stakes and chains. Unfortunately, the risks of children playing on these structures brought up the possibility of liability, so we again turned toward installing more plants such as areas of annuals or more young ivy to discourage people from walking over the beds. In my opinion, however, the primary cause of these unhealthy trees is the strong winds, poor soil, and dehydration conditions. The ground cover in the northern willow section looked particularly bare and packed. I pointed out that the soil level looked rather low, indicating that several inches of the topsoil had been blown away by the winter wind. The ivy only covered a fraction of the area, and the children apparently also trot all over this area. Since Bill mentioned that any kind of mulch or wood chips failed to protect the soil due to the high winds, I suggested that Bill estimate the cost to install a series of low foot-high shrubs like juniper plants to cover the area to protect the soil and discourage walking; junipers are just prickly enough to annoy but not injure. I also asked Bill to give examples of the kind of flower bulbs he would plant in the fall, since his written proposal lacking in this detail. He said that given the nature of the weather conditions, only short and sturdy plants should be planted, such as crocuses, hyacinths, and daffodils. Tulips would likely fare poorly. Bill will send us his recommendations in writing.
Up on the 5th and 6th floor sundeck, we proceeded to appraise the conditions of the container plants and terrace hedges surrounding the private terrace areas. Some of the small branches on the birch trees snapped easily, showing no life. Leaf growth was absent in selected areas, evidence of dehydration and branch death. Bill estimated that some of the trees could be up to 80% dead. He said, though, the trees have not yet "popped". In my opinion, however, even after a week these birches won’t "pop" but will only grow along surviving branches. Even worse, a dozen of the tall green shrubs meant to protect sunbathers in the summer were clearly dead, with dry yellow crackly branches starkly contrasting with the bright-green surviving companions next to them. We agreed that in the future, to protect them during the winter, these containers should be grouped together directly east of the tower of the building near the terrace hedges. Bill suggested spraying an anti-desiccant on the shrubs to further prevent dehydration. The Board will need to decide to approve this later. Desmond will generate a watering schedule for the containers(2-3 times a week), and I will monitor this and other activities by looking for signs of moisture and pruning. I plan to look for more watering on hot and sunny days, as well as continued watering on cloudy and even rainy days, since rainfall often does not compensate for a good healthy douse from the hose. As to replacing the dead shrubs, this issue is further complicated by the original company which designed and installed these container plants, Plant Specialists. Mike Basile said that Equity is pursuing their warranty for replacing the plants. I hope this process is expeditious. However, should it be determined that the plants died by neglect, then I would urge the Board to quickly press Equity Management towards action in purchasing replacements and support Desmond to assign as many staff hours as is needed to properly care for all landscaped areas.
Meeting date: Wednesday, April 25, 2001, 8:00am
Note: this is a summary of the meeting, as accurate an account as I can best recall.
The lobby bustled with morning activity when we gathered together to begin our tour around the building. We started by looking at the two potted topiaries flanking the automatic doors. Bill will replace them both and add an assortment of flowering plants around the base. As we passed the empty sidewalk plots, Mike Basile noted that there was a current effort to have the city replace the trees as well as a simultaneous process to choose metal guards meant to discourage pets and people from treading on the soil. Then on to the oaks and poplars which line the eastern and southern sides of the garage. This variety of tree, the Lombardy poplar, was used to generate an "instant landscape" due to its rapid growth and relatively short life span of 10-15 years. The original landscape architect intended to use the poplars, which I mistook for an aspen, as "filler" until the oaks grew larger; the poplars would be removed in the future to make room for the more stable oaks (Personally, I find the lively green and fluttering poplar leaves far more attractive than the motionless oaks, but I digress). At the northeast corner, we stopped in front of the unsightly dead poplar. I pressed the question of whether Bill had plans to remove the dead tree and replace it with some low annuals. He replied that he would dig up the tree and could put in some flowers - suggesting an assortment of ideas - from wild flowers to a plain patch of ivy. Given his lack of any strong recommendations, I think the board should make a clear and decisive decision for that space to prompt an action by Harder Landscape. In my opinion, one of these three ideas would be satisfactory after Bill removes the tree and leftover ivy:
1) Single 5-7 ft. conical, thin, or shaped topiary surrounded by impatiens.
2) Assortment of tall wild flowers.
3) Direct species replacement of the Lombardy poplar.
I recommend that the Board to choose the first option because it is an inexpensive and quick option, further providing continuity of aesthetic form with the trees; the cost should be covered by the contract. A manually controlled drip line provides water for this area. It was established at this meeting that Desmond and the Citylights staff are entirely responsible for watering all the plants at Citylights. The Harder Landscape staff of 3-4 men visit once a week, while Bill himself will make monthly visits to Citylights. On those days we will meet to discuss the progress and make changes as necessary. The Harder proposal included prevention treatments for the poplars against insect infestation and a fungicide spray to treat the white-powder fungus on the oak leaves. The wire restraints which have kept the poplars upright when they were young now restrict their branches and cause them to bend backwards toward the building. They were installed by the sponsor three years ago but have not been adjusted and I recall that it was agreed that Desmond would attend to this. Bill agreed to remove the little poplar suckers growing from the roots of trees. As for planting annuals at the base of the poplars and oaks, Bill said he would install an assortment of petunias, begonias, and impatiens.
The cold wind continued to blast us mercilessly as we proceeded towards the western plaza area. An automatic timer controls the sprinkler system for the entire western plaza. Because the pipes in the watering system are vulnerable to freezing, Desmond must wait until the last frost night before reactivating the system. At the time of the meeting, the water system was inactive (still in winter mode). I think May 1 seems to be a safe date to activate the sprinklers, but perhaps Bill should be asked for his professional opinion. Bill described the subsoil as highly compacted during the construction of Citylights and the surface soil as slow to drain, and pointed out the white tubes protruding from the soil that allow Harder Landscape to monitor water drainage. The ring of evergreen hedges around the southern group of willows showed damage from skateboarders who likely fell on the plants. It was also observed that the hedges had gaps and needed replacements or additional plants to fill in the gaps. The willow trees grew from the original trunk diameter of approximately 4 inches to 8 inches. Unfortunately, those trunks which are not vertical cannot be coaxed upright, despite efforts in previous summers to pull them straight with guide wires. The magnolia blossoms were already gone, with tiny leaves starting to sprout from some trees. The weakest magnolia tree may need to be replaced eventually, if the board decides to approve the action, but the current strategy will be the same as for the other magnolias. Bill’s staff will trim away dead branches and fertilize the beds three times this season, once at the beginning, once in mid summer, and once in the fall; this is standard and not aggressive care. Bill and Desmond both agreed that some of the damage in the western plaza was caused by the school children playing and running over the ivy ground cover and swinging from the low hung tree branches. We discussed different strategies for protecting the beds from being trampled, including low metal guards and stakes and chains. Unfortunately, the risks of children playing on these structures brought up the possibility of liability, so we again turned toward installing more plants such as areas of annuals or more young ivy to discourage people from walking over the beds. In my opinion, however, the primary cause of these unhealthy trees is the strong winds, poor soil, and dehydration conditions. The ground cover in the northern willow section looked particularly bare and packed. I pointed out that the soil level looked rather low, indicating that several inches of the topsoil had been blown away by the winter wind. The ivy only covered a fraction of the area, and the children apparently also trot all over this area. Since Bill mentioned that any kind of mulch or wood chips failed to protect the soil due to the high winds, I suggested that Bill estimate the cost to install a series of low foot-high shrubs like juniper plants to cover the area to protect the soil and discourage walking; junipers are just prickly enough to annoy but not injure. I also asked Bill to give examples of the kind of flower bulbs he would plant in the fall, since his written proposal lacking in this detail. He said that given the nature of the weather conditions, only short and sturdy plants should be planted, such as crocuses, hyacinths, and daffodils. Tulips would likely fare poorly. Bill will send us his recommendations in writing.
Up on the 5th and 6th floor sundeck, we proceeded to appraise the conditions of the container plants and terrace hedges surrounding the private terrace areas. Some of the small branches on the birch trees snapped easily, showing no life. Leaf growth was absent in selected areas, evidence of dehydration and branch death. Bill estimated that some of the trees could be up to 80% dead. He said, though, the trees have not yet "popped". In my opinion, however, even after a week these birches won’t "pop" but will only grow along surviving branches. Even worse, a dozen of the tall green shrubs meant to protect sunbathers in the summer were clearly dead, with dry yellow crackly branches starkly contrasting with the bright-green surviving companions next to them. We agreed that in the future, to protect them during the winter, these containers should be grouped together directly east of the tower of the building near the terrace hedges. Bill suggested spraying an anti-desiccant on the shrubs to further prevent dehydration. The Board will need to decide to approve this later. Desmond will generate a watering schedule for the containers(2-3 times a week), and I will monitor this and other activities by looking for signs of moisture and pruning. I plan to look for more watering on hot and sunny days, as well as continued watering on cloudy and even rainy days, since rainfall often does not compensate for a good healthy douse from the hose. As to replacing the dead shrubs, this issue is further complicated by the original company which designed and installed these container plants, Plant Specialists. Mike Basile said that Equity is pursuing their warranty for replacing the plants. I hope this process is expeditious. However, should it be determined that the plants died by neglect, then I would urge the Board to quickly press Equity Management towards action in purchasing replacements and support Desmond to assign as many staff hours as is needed to properly care for all landscaped areas.
Once again.... thank you. Not only are you taking up this issue with zest but look like you are the best one for the job. Keep up the great work.
Is there anything that we (as normal, non-plant people) can do? Volunteer? Observe?
Jake
Is there anything that we (as normal, non-plant people) can do? Volunteer? Observe?
Jake
Landscape Meeting Review
Posted by
btob
at
May 09. 2001
Thanks for the summary. I've been wondering what was happening with the landscaping? Just wanted to make you aware that the magnolia that is not doing as well as the others was replaced once already. So it may not be the tree itself but something specific to that location. As far as the dead poplar in the corner I would vote for replacing it with the same type of tree. I think that space demands something more vertical than wildflowers or shrubs. (just my opinion) Also, I was suprised that there was no mention of dog urine. I am a dog owner, and am not suggesting all dog owners are irresponsible, but... I have seen some residents and non-residents allow there dogs to urinate in these beds and have to believe that it has a negative effect on the greenery. (in addition to the dehydration, poor soil and foot traffic)Unfortunately signs aren't enough. I think the metal guards would be effective. I have seen them in front of other buildings. Maybe the board can get a more definitive answer as to wether or not there is a serious liability issue
with the guards. Thanks again for your efforts!
with the guards. Thanks again for your efforts!
Landscape Meeting Review
Posted by
tw
at
May 09. 2001
You are correct in surmising that the magnolia trees are not the problem. Bill Harder said that they came from the best tree growers. It's a combination of lousy bed soil(too much clay), harsh weather conditions, and a little bit of schoolchildren abuse(swinging from the low branches).
The dead poplar has been cut down and will be removed. Replacing it with another poplar will require a decision by the board to approve the money needed. A temporary measure for this summer is the shrub and flowers. I have no real authority, other than permission to attend the landscape meetings and write these reviews with my suggestions.
The dog urine issue was brought up very briefly, but since we're not taking any stance about it, our only goal here is to maintain the health of the plants as best we can, given the conditions. Equity Management is working though the paperwork to get those metal guards. Some of the delay is caused by careful considerations to the style and whether our choice is city-approved. Not all guards are legal for public property, so making a mistake and installing the wrong ones will mean the city may one day show up and rip them out. This was discussed at the last Gantry Park meeting.
The dead poplar has been cut down and will be removed. Replacing it with another poplar will require a decision by the board to approve the money needed. A temporary measure for this summer is the shrub and flowers. I have no real authority, other than permission to attend the landscape meetings and write these reviews with my suggestions.
The dog urine issue was brought up very briefly, but since we're not taking any stance about it, our only goal here is to maintain the health of the plants as best we can, given the conditions. Equity Management is working though the paperwork to get those metal guards. Some of the delay is caused by careful considerations to the style and whether our choice is city-approved. Not all guards are legal for public property, so making a mistake and installing the wrong ones will mean the city may one day show up and rip them out. This was discussed at the last Gantry Park meeting.
Landscape Meeting Review
Posted by
tw
at
May 09. 2001
Every shareholder who's gotten involved, from board members to committee members to memo writers like me, has a particular issue that brings him or her to action. For some it is dealing with telecommunications, for others it is improving the appearance of the lobby(with or without art on the walls). I happened to notice that the trees and plants didn't get the proper care they needed last summer and decided to bring it to the attention of the board.
The board will certainly appreciate the extra eyes and ears of shareholders who notice some things need attention. The important consideration here is constructive and civilized communication- my success in gaining a small measure of trust by the board was my original memo and patient but dogged persistence. I like to think that this is why living in a coop is so nice- that we have the ability to influence how our home is maintained and improved.
I can be reached by email if anyone has comments or observations about the landscaping around Citylights.
The board will certainly appreciate the extra eyes and ears of shareholders who notice some things need attention. The important consideration here is constructive and civilized communication- my success in gaining a small measure of trust by the board was my original memo and patient but dogged persistence. I like to think that this is why living in a coop is so nice- that we have the ability to influence how our home is maintained and improved.
I can be reached by email if anyone has comments or observations about the landscaping around Citylights.