Our Trees are Blooming
The magnolias, cherries and even early dogwoods are starting to bloom now. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the cold, probably below freezing temperatures tonight will not cause the delicate flowers to shatter and drop their petals. The Magnolia stellata (Star magnolia) is the earliest magnolia to bloom here, while the hybrid yellow Magnolia […]
Blues on the Greenway
The spring bulbs are beginning to bloom. The recent warm weather has encouraged the early small bulbs to get moving – growing and blooming. The crocus, followed by the Chionadoxa, are just about in full bloom, especially on the sunnier slopes and south facing locations. In the Wharf district we have a mix of both […]
Spring Equinox is here
The Greenway is thawing out! Today’s current temperature of 41 degrees is a great improvement from Monday’s chilly high of 26. The Spring Equinox marks the moment when the day and night are of equal length – giving us a full 12 hours of daylight today. From now until the Summer Solstice in June the […]
The Earliest Flowers
They are not in evidence yet but I am waiting and watching for these – the earliest of spring blooms. As the days lengthen, and the temperature warms, (and Monday’s new snow melts), these flowers will start blooming in all the parks in the Greenway. Gold and yellow crocus in the lawns, white snowdrops tucked […]
Before the Warm – the Bones of Trees
While we wait for more promises of spring we continue to have blankets of snow coating the gardens, lawns and paths along the Greenway. Without the distraction of the soft green layers and riots of colorful plants it is the structure and architecture of the trees, and shrubs too, that stand out in the park […]
A Sure Sign of Spring
It may be 5 degrees outside in the morning, and there may be another snow storm around the corner but the seasons are changing. Spring is on its way. I was reassured of this, the certainty of seasonal change and a lengthening day, just this morning when I found the first silvery buds on the […]
Gardens in Winter; New Blooms Already
With the ground bare from melting snow you can see the earliest of flowers emerging on the Greenway. Mostly found in the Fort Point Channel Parks, these are true winter bloomers. The very first to appear are on the Witch Hazel, a small native tree. The flowers of the Hamamelis vernalis are just now emerging, […]
Gardens in Winter; Protecting our Plants
We have a number of broadleaf evergreen shrubs that provide texture and color to the Greenway all winter including Ilex, Buxus, and Rhododendron. While we select plants because they are well suited to our climate and conditions, these leafy plants, the hollys, the boxwoods and shrubs in the rhododendron family, benefit from added protection and […]
The Gardens in Winter
Winter is here! Two snow events in a week mean that winter is a reality. That these snow storms occurred right in time for the winter solstice may be coincidence, or serendipity. As with everything we do, we want the parks and garden beds to look great all winter long. This means considering what happens […]
Organic Turf Maintenance on the Greenway
Note: This article appeared in a recent issue of the Ecological Landscape Association newsletter and was written by Anthony Ruggiero, our Horticulture Foreman. The Greenway is a mile-and-a-half-long public park that stretches from Chinatown to the North End in downtown Boston. It is a linear series of small parks that sit above the I-93 tunnel […]
