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June 26, 2008

Gardening lessons by Shank's mare

I’ve been walking to work recently, to save gas and stop contributing to air quality problems.
And mostly because I just don’t live that far, and in nice weather it’s a pleasant walk.

You notice a lot more when you walk than when you drive.

When I drive I mostly notice all the people who slow down at every 3-foot break in the curbing on Benefit Street, wondering if they can fit the Sequoia in, or stopping the car in traffic to drop someone off and THEN have a conversation about what to have for dinner through the window.

Breathe. Relax. Be nice.

When I walk I notice:

* Trees are cool. Literally. The temperature drops noticeably between treeless areas downtown, even areas shaded by buildings, and the leafy East side. That’s like nearly free air conditioning.

* Plants like water. Believe it or not, a lot of people neglect to water, and plants die. Plants are particularly vulnerable early in the season. Sometimes the weather report promises rain, and doesn’t deliver, so check on them, Stick your fingers down into the soil if you need to.

* Overwatering is bad though. A mature tree is fine with about an inch of rain or watering a week. Even a vegetable garden in peak season requires only about 2 inches a week. A slightly dry plant will bounce back, but a waterlogged one will probably die. Don’t water the sidewalk, deck or other hardscaping, or create runoff.

* RISD does a lovely job with their landscaping, particularly down by the river. Thank you for making my walk home nicer. I hope the new guy keeps it up.

* There are a lot of amazing new colored plants and flowers these days, whether it’s restrained leaves in green and white or pale yellow, or frilled leaves and flowers in crazy colors. They’re fun. But I think it’s a mistake to make a steady diet of them and only them. I think they work better when you mix them in with a few rest strokes of something more sedate in the background –– a plain green leaf.

* I hate red bark mulch.

* OK. I hate pretty much all mulch.

* When you plant a garden, at great expense, you really should take the trouble to pull a few weeds. Weeds are nature’s success stories, they’re going to succeed at the expense of anything they can take advantage of, using up available water, soil nutrients, space and sunlight. It’s amazing sometimes how when you pull the weeds, other plants that have been languishing just take off.

* The Bajnotti Fountain in Kennedy Plaza is just beautiful with all its jets going.

* And the city and Clean and Safe Team downtown do a nice job of keeping things tidy. Thank you, too.

* My colleagues have been admiring the large colorful basket planters hanging from lamp posts downtown and want to know where they came from. If you know, please let me know so we can say thank you.

I believe I have more company nowadays, people trying to walk or bike at least part of their commute. If it’s at all a possibility for you, I recommend it. You never know what you’ll notice when you take the long way home.

Posted by Paula Constantine  at 4:50 PM | Permalink

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