The title of this post tells you it won’t be a happy one. It might even make you angry. I wrote it just for blog readers – gardeners! Not to rally locals to take sides. I’ve waited a few weeks to calm down and get some perspective, but I’m not totally there yet and I hope that sharing the story will help.
The background
As last reported in this post I worked for over 2 years to clear the jungle that a prominent city garden had become. It’s shown above in the condition it was when I got to work – not terrible from this view, but lots of blank spaces close to the sidewalk.
But these other views of the garden reveal the invasive vines and other nuisance plants that got my attention (though clearly not the attention of the city’s landscape crew). I couldn’t resist taking on the job of clearing the English ivy from trees – it’s SO gratifying!
The garden is dominated by over 50 old oakleaf hydrangeas, all of which miraculously survived our worst droughts (so far), despite the lack of irrigation or supplemental watering of any kind. The sight of them in this condition is cringe-worthy, but I sure couldn’t carry enough water to make a difference.
Packera aurea donated by the garden club – just planted, and as they appear blooming in my garden. They bloomed their very first spring.
With most of the vines and other weeds gone, I and other volunteers planted Packera aurea donated by the local garden club – planted with the permission of the city staffer in charge.
Recent destruction and dismissal
Since our planting day last fall, the new plants survived our bad winter and were just starting to bloom when one morning I found them all gone! Also gone were the volunteer redbuds I’d grouped into a small grove.
So what happened? Long, awful story short, the person who gave us permission was gone and the landscape crew, believing the new plants to be weeds, removed them all (despite the blooms).
Well, we reported it and after several months we have the outcome – which is NOT that the club is being reimbursed for the plants, or that the mistake is forgiven because now we’re collaborating with the landscape crew to make this important garden even better.
Nope! We were told by email that we had permission to keep removing invasives but that “Moving forward, new plantings will be the horticulture crew’s responsibility.”
Maybe I too emotionally invested
This is a garden I’d checked on almost daily, imagining improvements like using hosta and Solomon’s seal divisions to fill in the empty spaces – at no cost, just volunteer labor. And adding some donated black-eyed Susans (our state flower) for long-lasting summer color.
But my reaction to that (imho, disrespectful) email has surprised me. I was SO hurt and angry I told the others to respond because I needed to step back from volunteering for the city, for my peace of mind.
I even stopped walking by the garden! I dread seeing the remaining bits of grape vine (that grows a foot a day, or seems to) smothering the hydrangeas again, and covering the old viburnum I’ve been lovingly renewal-pruning, a years-long process. I’m not sure I’m a big enough person to continue that work now.
So I’m wondering how to care less? I’d lost a garden before (by moving away after 26 years), but this loss comes with a complicated mix of hurt and anger.
What’s in store for that garden now?
The black-eyed susans we offered for the site were rejected with no explanation, except that they would be appropriate in the large (and largely unmanaged) pollinator garden in a city park.
So with the Packera aurea destroyed and the black-eyed susans rejected, what plants DID the city have in mind for this very prominent garden? A quick look at what they’re planting in other city gardens gives us a big clue. Sorry if these examples hurt your eyes. They do mine. And I didn’t even show you the photos with irrigation tubing as the most prominent feature.
Mid-summer in the city’s gardens.
So I’m wondering if the horticulture crew’s preference for outdated plants and design styles is behind their refusal of volunteer help, donated plants and garden-club expertise. Surely they’ve heard criticism.
I found some older photos of the garden from when its irrigation system was functioning and the crew planted annuals there. We’re told they intend to “increase horticultural activity” there, so we can expect to see the return of these pitiful annuals. We would have filled in the blank spaces with perennials, mostly divisions from on-site.
How to improve city plantings?
I’ve long hoped to see change come to our outdated, high-maintenance, wasteful public gardens. Does anyone have examples of civic gardens that would save the city money on plants, water and labor? I suspect that arguments over design or even environmental concerns might not carry the day, but cost savings might. Help!
Does it make sense to keep buying annuals every year that need this amount of fussing over? And resources? I see this water truck and crew frequently, about a block from my house, keeping a few annuals alive.
Can your rant be printed as a letter to the editor, complete with your pictures, in a popular local newspaper (do people even read newspapers anymore)? Perhaps there is a city council meeting where people can air their grievances? Maybe a local talk show. If the city is going to spend money on it’s parks, it should be spending it well. If you do attend a government meeting to air your views, make sure your fellow gardeners attend and maybe a reporter who is interested.
How heartbreaking (and stupid of the city)! This should definitely be more widely known – local TV often loves a visual story.
I doubt it’s the horticulture crew’s preference either. They don’t necessarily decide what gets planted, they just have to install it. I would dig into who is dictating the plantings. Is someone in city council stuck on traditional bedding plants as the only way to go? Did neighbors complain the packera looked weedy? Why did the person who approved your help leave? This situation smells like politics on a higher level.
My guess is that someone in city administration decided which landscape company would get the contract. Then a designer at that landscape company chose the plants, optimizing for 1) looking labor-intensive to prove the city was doing something intentional, and 2) actually being labor-intensive to ensure make-work for the company, e.g. watering, bi-annual planting, etc.
I agree. Someone is benefiting from this make-work project, and wants to continue benefiting.
I hate to use the word but I have to. En—-tification strikes again. It is everywhere. The city did not deserve you or your club.
The town probably took their flower bed design from Chatgpt , that AI thing that gave our State department a map of Africa with every last country labelled with the wrong name.
I have so much to say about this. I empathize and sympathize so much. Am having an open garden today so will try to get back to commiserate later,
I have some big volunteer gardening projects at my church that I’m very emotionally and physically invested in. I also have a terminal diagnosis. For now, I’m still “healthy,” but the end is nigh.
I’m getting used to the idea that my projects, like all gardening projects, are temporary. Gardeners sell properties. We die, or live longer than we can garden. A forest goes down, a development goes up. Big Landscaping generates new income streams.
I’m working hard to ensure that at least some of it will go on. Even if the invasives I’ve removed come back, my native plants and their seeds will spread, like me, into the great beyond.
Heartbreaking. We had the same thing happen in Roanoke with a massive Native Garden the Master Gardeners installed for the veterans administration hospital. Not once, but twice. At least that was just ignorance, rather than a deliberate choice. I believe I have some examples of better City management to provide you, and will let you know.
Well gosh! This is awful. I can see a mistake made maybe but to send that email out… shame on whomever sent it and or made that decision. You and the other volunteers deserved so much better.
Oh Susan, I feel your pain. I have maintained the grounds at my church for 30 plus years and “retired” from that volunteer responsibility two years ago. Now the trustees don’t see the value of the landscaping and have cut back maintenance and let many things go. Yes, I feel disrespected and underappreciated and have decided for my own mental health not attend since looking at the slowly depreciating grounds is too difficult to deal with. The manner in which you were “dismissed” from this garden is unforgivable and showed lack of forethought on the part of the city. Relationships with volunteer organizations are critical to municipalities and should be a win-win arrangement. Cities of course have a right to go in whatever direction that feel is appropriate, but they should have been more diplomatic about how they went about this change. Even though bedding out annuals is old school and maintenance intensive, generally speaking, the public likes it and I’m sure that is the reasoning behind the city’s decision to do so. I think the biggest sin here is how the city handled things and you are completely in your rights to voice your opinion. You may or may not get an apology but at least you will have brought to their attention their lack of tact in how they dealt with the situation.
Our ‘work’ as gardeners is understood by others BORN SERIOUS GARDNERS, not the macro culture of humans.
It is my belief, as a professional gardener for decades, TRUE GARDENERS are born in small numbers globally across any century.
As a child, I had conversations with trees, grass, bushes non-stop & still do. Thought everyone communicated the same with Nature. Only realized in my early 20’s that other people were not communicating with ‘plants’.
Godspeed your work with your Church grounds. Huge thank you for doing it. We both know it was your blessing doing the work, more, it was your privilege upon this earth, from God, to do it. Can you imagine living within a soul not understanding that gift you gave to your Church ?
It might be worthwhile to let your municipality know if there are some motivated volunteers with expertise on perennial plants -not water hungry annuals- who can beautify your community. Show images of Piet Oudolf projects and declare these can offer beauty and ecological benefit without City funding
One further comment. As much as I love and prefer mixed shrub and perennial gardens, they are far more complicated to maintain and require a much higher level of horticultural expertise. My experience is that most cities don’t employ trained horticulturists and therefore need to keep things simple. And again, as I mentioned above, bedding out annuals generally resonates better with a horticulturally ignorant citizenry.
I agree with both of Steve’s comments — I can see the City’s reasoning even though it feels backward. It is inexcusable that you were dealt with that way and that compromise couldn’t have been reached. Our community garden in an ‘abandoned’ city lot was removed and the lot is now just grass — abandoned again. Why? Because it took maintenance and volunteers to deal with it and six years in, 20% of the people were doing 80% of the work. The property owner couldn’t fully rely on it and didn’t want to deal with it. Solution: grass that can be mowed. I am SO sorry you are dealing with this. Upsetting isn’t the word. -MW
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity, but any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice. Time to gather your fellow gardeners and present at the next city council meeting. This manufactured industrial park and apartment complex style of landscaping is unfortunate. I hope the News Review turns this into an article.
Awful, awful, awful!
After a horrible experience at my church, I said I was never going to garden for anyone again and then came my good friend that begged me to “fix and redo” his deceased wife’s backyard center garden. I got sucked in and spent many days clearing out the weeds and asking what he wanted to save. “Get rid of all of it,” So I did and then he wanted new plantings in his favorite colors. This took forever because he had no idea what he wanted and changed his mind again and again.$500. later I said I needed some sort of payment from him and he said he thought I was doing all of this out of the goodness of my heart.I relandscaped and planted again. I even came and watered each day becasue he said he just didn’t have time.Time came and went and in the spring, I asked if he wanted me to clean up the new area but he said no, his grandsons took care of everything. I came over to see and the grandsons had pulled out 99% of all the plants. I cried and left, never to return. He then sold his home and moved in with a new lady friend. She doesn’t like gardens. Oh happy day!
Susan, I am so sorry to hear about this. I too would be devastated and angry.
Oh Susan, this is disgusting. I share your outrage and sorrow. These folks are fine with volunteers doing all of the heavy lifting, but slap your group in the face by not graciously accepting your help via your collective expertise. How heartbreaking that all of the new plants were removed! And those replacements are atrocious! Often, gardening for others is not appreciated, and that’s a crying shame. I’m sorry this happened to you.
I think it’s “professional jealousy” on the part of the landscaping company hired to maintain the garden. They couldn’t accept the fact that there are knowledgeable volunteers out there that could have great ideas that would make an improvement to what was previously there. It reminds me of what I had happen a couple of years ago when I had a landscaper of a well known company in our area—who I had hired in the not-so-distant past—provide a bid for some heavy work I needed done. Once he realized I was a master gardener, he let me know in no uncertain terms that, “master gardeners are my worst customers.” Needless to say, I didn’t hire the arrogant jerk. I should have called the company, but I didn’t.
I too would struggle with the unfairness, though I’d likely, unhelpfully, be planning revenge. Those new plantings are beyond U-G-L-Y, but more to the point in this context, wasteful.
From the outside, what seems worst is that you care, and whoever committed the current set-up doesn’t know enough to. Or what they care about isn’t plants and design and sense of place. It looks more ignorant than malicious
What a waste. I’m so sorry.
Lida
Try Roy Diblik at North Wind Nursery near Burlington, Wisconsin. He has done beds for several local communities and at least one golf course. I believe he was able to cut maintenance costs.
Show them the High Line, along with some examples of the great press/publicity it has gotten.
So sorry Susan!!
I loved Lida’s honest reply!!
In so many situations, it just comes down to who’s in charge and what’s important to them. The person before who agreed to what you all were doing saw it as important and I assume appreciated what you did. Somebody new comes in and that’s just not their priority. Such a shame!
The new planting is painful to look at. In your shoes, I wouldn’t be able to sleep for days because of this. You aren’t looking for a pity party, I know, but I am so sorry.
This may be a more laborsome process-based answer than you want to receive: there could be a proposal which speaks to the economic efficiencies of native plantings and partnership collaboration across zones of the city. You should be able to find the costs of upkeep in the annual budget or you could use the annual budget which will be starting soon to talk about the opportunity to reduce costs through partnership and shifts to native plantings. It would be instant to have a champion with leadership at PW, too. I am hopeful with the cities budget crisis that more great ideas could emerge from residents during the budgeting process.
I am so sorry to hear this horrible, grim story. My sympathy, Susan.
It won’t help you much emotionally, but you are not alone.My friend took care of a pocket park adjacent to her home for 20 years when suddenly a city contractor appeared with hedge trimmers and mowers. No warning. At my church I banished weeds and strategically planted low-water plants, nursing them the first few years, dragging a hose. Once mature, they needed deep watering three times a summer but when I couldn’t do it, no one would step forward. It didn’t require horticultural knowledge or skill, just a few 30 minute-sessions. A city near me had an employee working with the school horticulture classes, developing beautiful, hardy, roadside and median plantings. It only needed mulch and a water truck occasionally. The employee moved, and out came the power trimmers and seasonal herbicide sprays. The inevitable decline has been painful to watch, and the use of resources wasteful. I learned my sad lesson, and when my garden club was asked to design an entry planting at the city building where it meets, I sat on my hands. None of these examples should’ve happened.
Losing a garden that you have loved and cared for is like losing a part of you. It is quite reasonable for you to feel aggrieved. You were smart to pass the initial reaction to others. Give yourself space, then work with the other volunteers to reach out to the Parks & Rec Director and set a meeting to discuss what has occurred. If they will not meet, then take the issue to your councilperson. Taxpayers like you are footing the bill, so you have good standing to hold the Parks Department accountable. I have had both good and bad experiences working with and leading municipal garden projects and volunteers. Most city & county staff members want citizens to be proud of their city-owned properties. If Parks management is on board, the staff will fall in line. The key to change will be open communication and using a problem-solving approach, rather than hammering them. Appeal to their better angels, but wait until you’ve had time to grieve. If it goes nowhere, then it wasn’t meant to be. If you’ll recall my submission about the garden I made for my mother…not long after that post ran, I learned that the new homeowner ripped out nearly all the perennials in the front beds. It was a wasteland by the time I saw it. It was too much for them, though I had referred them to a gardener who could’ve helped them. I cannot drive past the house anymore, but it isn’t the garden that is important now, it is the journey we went through to make it. You did a good thing. You tried to make the world a better place. Keep doing that.
I don’t think what happened here was about the garden at all, but about a new administration that wanted to throw their weight around. They performed a militant takeover by installing a formula, nondescript garden by plopping pathetic plants into a sea of mulch. It’s not that your expertise was not appreciated, you were a victim of a bureaucracy that wanted to gentrify and upend the personal decisions of your group that they didn’t try to understand or work with. Be proud of what you did do to help at a time when the improvement was needed and enjoyed.
Well said, a voice of reason for sure. “Open communication and using a problem-solving approach, rather than hammering them.” Thanks for your input.
Oh my goodness! Mine was Packera aurea also, donated to the Walkway Over the Hudson in New York – a repurposed “rails to trails” project. I cleared an area around an old signal and planted the cheerful yellow flowers so visitors would notice the slightly hidden structure. I was on the Amenities Committee there, and spent YEARS volunteering, donating, planting, and offering design advice at various locations and access points. All gone. Some of the areas are desolate, some have new designs. I guess it is an evolution – not all evolutions have happy results.
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost
Very sad that the City “Crew” is more worried about their billable hours than the park.
If you do too much of their work maybe the city teach them to build tiny homes instead the USA is short 4 million units and rising. .
Oh, Susan, this is beyond heart-breaking. Along with all your work, your passion, your CARING, the slaughter of those fine plants is beyond belief. Of course, the invasives will be right back, too, along with the very needy annuals they selected.
Okay Susan, you have created quiet a firestorm of comments. Now it’s your turn to share where you are at now that you have had time to reflect.
Well, thank you for asking me!
As I may have said in the post, I won’t be leading the charge to change the city Gardens, including the one I love. But I’ll happily help anyone with more influence than me who wants to pursue it. I’ve sent the link to a couple of people that I know are interested so, more will be revealed. Or nothing will happen. Local battles are difficult, where we all shop at the same grocery store, etc.. A dear friend reminded me that I’m welcome to adopt more sites in our co-op community, where I already have a good relationship with them around taking care of their office building. I’m blogging about garden that this weekend.
Anyway, that’s enough out of me
And I almost forgot to mention that these comments have just been wonderful for me to read, I definitely found my support group here! Gardeners’s anonymous? No we’re pretty Public about it.
How upsetting! I recently discovered that the Establishment here is moving our 60 year old community garden to make way for 12 luxury condos! All the mature fruit trees, vines and berries will be plowed under and the new garden will be ready by next summer!
Not a single gardner on the committee that’s deciding things:( I can only imagine how it will go. Annuals anyone?
How upsetting! I recently discovered that the Establishment here is moving our 60 year old community garden to make way for 12 luxury condos! All the mature fruit trees, vines and berries will be plowed under and the new garden will be ready by next summer!
Not a single gardner on the committee that’s deciding things:( I can only imagine how it will go. Annuals anyone?