Pictures of Rain Garden Planting

Before During After

Before During

The Planting is Complete!

In August 2008, with the wonderful assistance of participants in the Mr. Rogers program, staff of the Genesee Conservation District, and volunteers from Applewood's Intiative for Community and Gardening program, over 800 native plants were planted at the rain garden site. Thanks to a few very soggy days in September, these plants are starting to flourish.

Mulch was delivered to the site and over 3/4 of the pile was spread among the plants. The Land Bank and Conservation District are planning a volunteer day in the next month in which the rest of the mulch will be spread among the plants as well as on the trail and weeds will be pulled from the site.

It is our hope that next year the site will be used for community educational events in which the benefits of rain gardens will be demonstrated. Thanks to all that helped get this project off the ground, including Ms. Ann Perkins on White Street who let us use her water!

Path Installed

Last fall a group of volunteers installed the mulch path that winds through the garden. This path will provide a travel way for neighbors to utilize the garden and stay connected to one and other.

Very soon site prep for spring planting should begin.

Tentative Timeline

We decided on a two year timeline for the project. I came up with a general plan and am posting it here mainly as a point of reference, as I'm sure it will change (and has already changed) as the project continues

Year One (Summer/Fall 2007)

1. Mid June - Clean up heavy dumping
2. By last week in June - Mow down high grass on site
3. Saturday, June 30 - Clean Up Day
4. Early July - Site Preparation including spraying herbicide
5. Mid July/August - Construction of Path
   · Purchase of 4 foot wide landscape fabric (enough for double layer
   · Mark out Path
   · Level the area
   · Installation of fabric and wood chips
6. September - Site Preparation including spraying herbicide
7. Ongoing - Monitor Site for Dumping

Year Two (Spring/Summer 2008)

1. Mid May - Determine if site needs another spraying of herbicide
2. Late May - Plant Natives
   - May purchase seeds with ’07 funds
3. Ongoing
   · Maintenance of Natives and maintenance of path

Coming up with a plan

Once we decided to go ahead and do a demonstration project with the area on Newall Street, the next things we needed was a plan. Tom Enright at the Flushing Nature Center and leader of the Wild Ones Flint invested a great deal of time and energy in creating a series of plans, actually for the area. The one we are currently using as a guide is shown below, followed by a recommended plant list.

Plants for specific Areas of Site Plan as listed on the map below.

A) Upland grass and forb mix (seed)
Black-eyed susan (yellow)
Wild Bergamont (pink)
Little Blue Stem
June grass
Sand coreapsis (yellow)
Hare bell (blue)
Sweet everlasting (white)
Spider wort (blue)
Smooth aster (blue/purple)
Hairy beard tongue pale purple
Stiff goldenrod (yellow)
Showy goldenrod (yellow)
New England Aster (purple)
Indian Grass

B) Mix of shrubs grasses and Forbs
Grasses and forbs as seed and seeded in groups
Indian grass
Little blue stem
Wild Bergamont (pink)
Yellow coneflower (yellow)
Wild columbine (red)
Cup plant (yellow) iron weed (purple)
Mountain min (white)
Boneset (white)
Joe Pye weed (purple)
New England Aster (purple)
White Beard tongue (white)
Showy golden rod (yellow)
Big leaved aster
Zigzag goldenrod

Shrubs
Red Elder berry
Alternate leaf dogwood
Hazelnut
Service berry
Grey dogwood

C) Woodland flowers
Wild columbine (red)
May apple
Wild geranium
Bloodroot
Solomon seal
Bracken fern
Big leaved aster
Zigzag goldenrod

Long term recommendations
Remove invasive Siberian Elm Trees and replace with maple, black cherry oak or sassafras

The Beginning...

This garden is part of the Land Bank's demonstration plantings. The site was chosen based on the amount of vacancy in the area, the large number of vacant parcels owned by the Land Bank , and the commonly accepted idea that there is an underground river or aquifer or some sort of water that makes the soil in the area unstable.


















People living and working in the area have had problems with streets buckling, sewer mains moving, foundations shifting and the like. Staff from Salem said that the city no longer gives out building permits in the area, and the properties that no longer have housing have become rather overgrown to the point where they look "natural" or to some "wild".

I've attached a few maps that show the level of vacancy, land bank ownership and even the elevation to give you an idea of the area's characteristics. The larger area considered to be Hamilton Dip runs from Hamilton to Dayton Streets between Mason and Iroquois Streets.