While the three parks are visited by 7+ million people annually, no other time of the year welcomes as much foot traffic as the summertime. Our Parks Care experts have been working diligently through sun and rain to make sure the Common, Garden, and Mall are safe and welcoming for Boston’s summer crowds.
Director of Capital Projects & Parks Care Rebecca McKevitz recently oversaw the installation of 25 new Japanese hollies (Ilex crenata) surrounding the 9/11 Garden of Remembrance in the Public Garden. Many of the plants surrounding the site had died over the winter, and we were proud to work with the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund to keep this cherished space beautiful.
As part of our statue conservation work, the Boston Women’s Memorial was recently cleaned. The statues were waxed, and Lithichrome was applied to the lettering for greater contrast between lettering, carvings, and the surrounding stone.
Sod was recently placed in the flower beds surrounding the George Washington statue, putting the final touches on the Child Fountain Restoration Project. These healthy new beds will welcome the annual tropical display planted by the Boston Parks & Recreation Department later this month.
The team continues to monitor the health and wellbeing of our 1,700 trees across the three parks. This includes planning for potential summer droughts. A handful of newly planted trees and transplants are having a hard time acclimating to life in the City. Alongside our consulting arborist, the team will continue to monitor these trees, replacing and replanting in autumn of this year and spring of next year, as needed.
Turf work on the Common to rectify damage caused by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission Pipe Relining Project is now underway, returning the site to optimal, healthy conditions. The interior park edges along Beacon Street Mall were roped off last weekend to facilitate hydroseeding efforts by Senior Parks Care Manager Cody Jennings, allowing the fresh seed beds to germinate. A second round of treatments are scheduled for this fall.