Preparing the Greenway for old man winter
Many of us are busy during this time of year sprucing up our abodes for holiday visitors. The Conservancy’s horticulture and maintenance team is equally active getting ready for old man winter’s visit. You’ve likely read about the preventative measure we took to prevent fountain damage but you might be surprised to learn about other smaller, but necessary, actions we’re taking to ensure the parks survive a New England winter and are in full bloom this spring.
Our horticulture team is:
- spraying anti-desiccant on the evergreen shrubs. This non-toxic product provides an almost invisible thin wax-like surface that acts as a layer of protection against cold, damaging winds,
- staking certain lawns and pathways to guide snow clearing activities and to protect vulnerable lawn edges from damage. (Over 250 stakes have been installed to date –with an additional 50 on hand for special conditions – all of which are made from recycled plastic. 3354 HDPE #2 milk jugs to be exact!) and,
- installing stakes and ropes around the American Elm tree in the North End to protect its roots from soil compaction.
Our maintenance team has:
- decommissioned and winterized all water features on the Greenway,
- cleared and winterized all irrigation systems,
- procured snow and ice removal services through our daily maintenance subcontractor, WORK Inc.,
- provided permanent electrical power to the Dewey Square Farmers Market to prepare for winter programming. (Prior to this installation, Boston Public Market vendors relied on a gas powered generator.) and,
- begun the process of repairing all light fixtures.
These are just some of the things the horticulture and maintenance staff is up to this month…in addition to getting ready for this weekend’s snow!
We’d love to hear from you. Please send questions, comments, ideas or concerns to [email protected].