April Showers bring… lots of crews to the Common, Garden, and Mall! There was a fair amount of #FriendsAtWork activity over the past few weeks as crews assisted our Parks Care team on a variety of projects that will keep your parks healthy and happy through the summer months.
It’s time for tree planting! Our Parks Care team is on track to plant 35 (yes, thirty-five!) new trees in the downtown parks this year. Work began this week on the Mall, where 8 new trees were planted. Species include:
- American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
- Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria)
- Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
- Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
- Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
The American Sweetgum is a particular favorite of our Parks Care team. They are known for their striking fall colors, aromatic sap, and their spiky “gumballs”, the fruit they bear every season that contains their seeds.
Planting remains ongoing through to the fall. In collaboration with Hartney-Greymont, our team is excited to hand out 200 saplings while we plant trees on the Common the morning of Arbor Day, April 25. Stop by the corner of Boylston & Charles Street between the Burial Ground and Tennis Courts from 8:00 – 11:00 AM to grab your very own piece of the park. Saplings are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Annual soil aeration efforts are now underway. Beginning on the Kenmore Block of the Mall, aeration will slowly move east through the Garden, finishing on the Common. This year, our aeration work will feature larger “spikes,” which allow for greater oxygen exchange and healthier soil. The tractor and aeration machine we use is called the AERA-vator. The AERA-vator creates a healthy rooting system for natural turf. The vibrating action provides better air and water infiltration to give roots the ability to grow stronger and deeper into the soil. Don’t be alarmed if you see large clusters of holes throughout the parks through the wet season — this is just science at work!
Growing grass in a high-traffic urban environment can be challenging. Seeding and aeration go hand in hand, and we’re working to keep the turf growing extra strong while optimal conditions continue.This spring we are applying over 11,600 lbs. of seed. Each park gets a different custom blend, from fine fescues, Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Rye, and White Clover on the Boston Common. You may come across some small parcels of the park roped off to allow our new seedlings to take root.
While tree maintenance is a year-round endeavor for our team, some species prefer their TLC in the more temperate spring weather. Crews have recently completed the annual pollarding of the willow trees in the Public Garden. This technique, while common in Europe, tends to raise some eyebrows here in Boston. While unsightly for a brief period, these cuts must be done to keep our distinctive willow trees thriving. Large mature willow trees have numerous defects which, while difficult for a layperson to identify, are obvious to the professional arborist. Pollarding provides the Willows with the longest possible lifespan.
You may have noticed staff from the Swan Boats of Boston assembling the pontoons and swans earlier this week. Board member Lyn Paget, owner and operator of the Swan Boats, was spotted painting the docks with a fresh coat of deep green ahead of opening day on April 19.