|
URI
CE Education Center, 3 East Alumni
Avenue, Kingston, RI 02881
(401) 874-2900
The
Botanical Gardens are a showcase for sustainable plants
and sustainable landscape practices and are open to the public
for
learning and enjoyment. The healthy landscapes education program
highlights many of the existing features as well
as the installation of new practices that demonstrate sustainable
landscaping.
July 26, 2005
Scroll down for more July 2005
photos
The
URI Cooperative Extension Education Center (CE Center)
completed a renovation of the
southwest corner of the gardens.
The project provides a new access entrance to the CE
Education Center and gardens and demonstrates
sustainable landscaping practices that provide for a
beautiful landscape design that also controls runoff and
soil erosion from exposure and heavy pedestrian traffic.
The original landscape design concept for this renovation
project was provided by Patricia Mullins, URI Landscape
Architecture Program.
Special thanks to the following individuals and groups
for the generous donation of time, materials, and expertise:
Dr. Marion Gold, Director, CE Education Center
Dr. Richard Casagrande, Chairperson, URI Dept. of Plant
Sciences
Dr. Brian Maynard, URI Dept. of Plant Sciences
URI Master Gardener Association Volunteers
Students from the URI 101 and
Plant Sciences Department classes
South
County Post and Beam
Liberty Cedar
Holly
Ridge Nursery
Washington
County Turf Farm
Pre-Renovation,
March 2004
The
southwest corner of the Learning Landscape is located
near a bus stop and parking area. It contained lawn
grass that was exposed to heavy foot traffic and was
bordered by a variety of trees and shrubs to the north
and east that blocked view and access to the CE Education
Center parking lot and Botanical Gardens.
Due to heavy
foot traffic and exposure, the lawn grass was weakened
and subject to runoff and soil erosion. The
lamp post shown at the far right corner of the
above photo presents a landscape design opportunity
to make this necessary feature more aesthetically
pleasing.
Looking from the bus stop and lamp post to the north
The
stakes are locating the placement of
a wooden, roofed structure that provides a shelter
for the
bus
stop area,
as well as an attractive new entrance to the
CE Education Center.
This area was originally blocked by large evergreen
trees
which prevented view and access.
This
is an area where existing shrubs block view into the
CE Education Center and Botanical Gardens during part
of the year. In establishing a new selection of
sustainable plants, it was also desired to incorporate
an aesthetic design that maintains view
but
discourages foot traffic through this and other areas
besides the designated entrance. A stone
wall and raised bed was chosen for this area.
|
The
Renovation in progress, April - June
2004
Looking
from the CE Education Center parking lot to the southwest
corner of the Botanical Gardens. The wooden, roofed
structure was installed June 2004. This provides shelter
and wooden benches for the bus stop area as well as
an aesthetic, designated new entrance to the CE Education
Center.
Roof
areas are impervious surfaces that generate runoff.
Small depressions or basins were created and lined
with an assortment of crushed rock and stone on each
side of the roof area to collect and infiltrate roof
runoff. This helps to address risks of erosion and
runoff off of the site and
increases groundwater recharge.
An
area is being prepared to hold a large boulder. This
will serve as a basis for a rock garden or hardscape
that will serve to conceal the concerete base
of the lamp
post. This is a creative, low maintenance way to protect
the area from heavy foot traffic and improve landscape
aesthetics.
A
small stone wall was constructed around the back
side of the boulder and cement base
of the lamp post. An existing concrete sidewalk and
curb
was removed and reconstructed around the perimeter
of this southwest corner of the Botanical Gardens.
Existing
shrubs are being removed to allow for the construction
of a new stone wall and raised bed.
The
stone wall begins at the stone basin on the north side
of the wooden shelter. A Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum
arboreum) is planted to provide fall foliage (burgundy)
as well as clusters of flowers during mid-summer.
This tree tolerates acidic soil, dry conditions and
full
sun
which makes
it a suitable, low maintenance
selection that provides
several landscape design benefits.
|
Final Renovation, October 2004
The
renovation included other practices to help control
erosion and runoff from foot traffic and exposure.
A split rail fence and gentle berm were installed
along the western perimeter to discourage widespread
foot traffic throughout the renovation area. Split
rail fencing was installed along the
southern permiter of the CE Botanical Gardens
during 2003 extending to the
south side of the new wooden shelter.
 The
back side of the berm and fencing was
mulched to protect against erosion and will be planted
to various low growing and low maintenance sustainable
plants during Spring 2005.
The
remaining exposed areas were stabilized with a
Kentucky Bluegrass sod. Kentucky
Bluegrass is tolerant of heavy traffic and sod is
one way to provide a quick, vegetative stabilization
of bare areas, serving as a way to minimize erosion and
runoff.
The floor of the wooden shelter contains stepping stones
that have been set within stone dust and serves as
an excellent example of permeable
paving options.
A
variety of hostas with varigated leaf color are planted
around the base of the Sourwood tree. Hostas are hardy,
low
growing
plants that can soften landscape edges and provide
full, interesting foliage during the growing season.
A
few inches of compost was added to the top of the boulder
and stones surrounding the lamp post and mulched and
planted to low growing groundcovers. These groundcovers
can tolerate shallow soil and provide greenery year
round.
The
south corner of the renovation area and shelter
has been planted and mulched with
native mountain
laurel,
high bush blueberries,
and
a variety of other
sustainable
plants.
The
area above the new stone wall has been planted
with 'Nikko' Slender Deutzia (Deutzia Gracilis 'Nikko')
which is a low growing flowering shrub suited
to stone walls and rock gardens. This shrub will spread
to five feet in diameter and will cascade
over the wall. It contains small
white
flowers
in early
spring and leaves will turn burgundy in the fall making
it a suitable compliment to the nearby Sourwood tree.
The plantings have been mulched with pine needles.
The
new entrance
and renovation project was dedicated
to
Cheryl
Tefft at a ribbon
cutting ceremony for
her years of dedication and service in the Cooperative
Extension Botanical Gardens. The ceremony was presided
over by URI President
Robert L. Carothers and URI Plant Science Department
Chairperson, Dr. Richard Casagrande. November 2004
|
July
2005
|
