street trees

[Recchia]

Quente put a cactus in the tree well. I have one that dies every winter then comes back bigger each year and flowers. Full sun, minimal watering, and when dogs step on it they quickly realize they shouldn't have. You can break a leaf off and throw it in the ground and it'll grow into a whole plant in no time.

[brick]

I would actually use catmint. I think it does better up north than the lavender. I also think dogs don't like the smell much. Russian Sage is also a good choice, and it likes poor soil but I can't remember whether it overwinters well or not.

To keep dogs out of your tree pit, sprinkle cayenne pepper in there. you can get big cannisters of it at Job Lot or Restaurant Depot for pretty cheap. Brick can tell you whether it is working as he's trying it at his place.

[Cotuit]

More street trees at RISD going in today. The traffic island between Washington Place and the busway leading to the tunnel had some nice trees that unfortunately died due to the ground not being prepared properly for them (they weren't getting enough water through the bricks and the stone dust brick base).

The dead trees were removed, the city put a raised bed in the traffic island, and RISD is planting trees and shrubs this morning. It is a configuration which would work outside the mall. The thing about the mall island is though, I don't think anyone wants trees because it would block the view up Francis of the State House, low shrubs would be good though.

Brown also has some nice trees in along the "Walk" between Angell and Waterman.

[brick]

The dead trees were removed, the city put a raised bed in the traffic island, and RISD is planting trees and shrubs this morning. It is a configuration which would work outside the mall. The thing about the mall island is though, I don't think anyone wants trees because it would block the view up Francis of the State House, low shrubs would be good though.

[quente]

I would actually use catmint. I think it does better up north than the lavender. I also think dogs don't like the smell much. Russian Sage is also a good choice, and it likes poor soil but I can't remember whether it overwinters well or not.

To keep dogs out of your tree pit, sprinkle cayenne pepper in there. you can get big cannisters of it at Job Lot or Restaurant Depot for pretty cheap. Brick can tell you whether it is working as he's trying it at his place.

[Cotuit]

And what's up with people not leashing their dogs?

[quente]

What's up with people not leashing their kids!?

[brick]

How much and how often do you apply the cayenne pepper?

[Pseudo_Work]

The city recently redid the sidewalk on Armenia Street (formerly Dawson Street), behind my house, and left space for trees back there. Does this mean that they're planning on actually planting them? Or does it just mean that now I can plant one if I feel like it?

[basachs]

The city recently redid the sidewalk on Armenia Street (formerly Dawson Street), behind my house, and left space for trees back there. Does this mean that they're planning on actually planting them? Or does it just mean that now I can plant one if I feel like it?

[jencoleslaw]

I'm not speaking in any kind of official capacity, however you can't just plant a tree if you feel like it. You still need to have forestry sign off on it--they'll send out digsafe to mark utilities (which needs to be done within 30 days of the planting or whatever work you're going to do, even if the marks are still there from when they did the sidewalk. Then you'll get a planting permit from forestry (free) and a list of permitable street trees--ie., you can't plant a douglas fir, or a dogwood in a street tree well. Then you can get a tree and plant it yourself.

However, if you have, say 5-20 new tree wells, why not apply for a Street Tree grant from the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program? It is a great way to beautify your neighborhood, meet your neighbors, increase your property values, save energy in the summer and winter, mitigate stormwater runoff, etc.

You can get a street tree app here: www.pnpp.org

Tell them Tree Lady Emerita sent you.

[Pseudo_Work]

I'm not speaking in any kind of official capacity, however you can't just plant a tree if you feel like it. You still need to have forestry sign off on it--they'll send out digsafe to mark utilities (which needs to be done within 30 days of the planting or whatever work you're going to do, even if the marks are still there from when they did the sidewalk. Then you'll get a planting permit from forestry (free) and a list of permitable street trees--ie., you can't plant a douglas fir, or a dogwood in a street tree well. Then you can get a tree and plant it yourself.

However, if you have, say 5-20 new tree wells, why not apply for a Street Tree grant from the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program? It is a great way to beautify your neighborhood, meet your neighbors, increase your property values, save energy in the summer and winter, mitigate stormwater runoff, etc.

You can get a street tree app here: www.pnpp.org

Tell them Tree Lady Emerita sent you.

[jencoleslaw]

Well that's the thing, they only left one tree well, and a grass strip. I thought maybe the church on the corner had them put it in, but I haven't seen anything happen, and it seems a shame to leave it empty, so I was wondering what I should do.

If, hypothetically, someone did plant stuff there without permission, what would they do?

[Pseudo_Work]

Well, the risk is that when you're digging to plant something you hit the gas line and explode the whole neighborhood.

[jencoleslaw]

Mmm, good point. But then, why would they put a tree well there in the first place? Also, would that explain why there are no damn trees in Providence?

[runawayjim]

The digsafe thing is a law, but you are right they probably wouldn't have put a tree well there if that was the gas line, however, I do not know whether or not anyone actually signs off (from Forestry) on the tree well placement if it is now a common enough occurence with the sidewalk people. I fought pretty hard back in the day for sidewalks to either have grass strips or at least tree wells and it was quite a battle. I'm glad that someone seems to be making it happen.

anyway, there are no damn trees in providence because:

• Trees are Dirty and Robbers Hide Behind Them

• They Get In the Way of Cars

• Dogs Pee on Them

• People Pour Used Motor Oil in the Tree Wells

• Other*

*pm me for the answer to this one.

[jencoleslaw]

you can't be PM'd.

[runawayjim]

I just answered a PM. Maybe your PMer is broked.

[jencoleslaw]

it wouldn't let me PM you... do you ahve me on ignore?

[Cotuit]

and it seems a shame to leave it empty

[Patrick Ward]

I am not sure if this is the right thread but...

Occasionally I stop at the Mobile between Ashburton and Charles Street early in the morning. When I get out and pump the gas I almost always hear these strange and raucous bird calls in the trees across the street. As a life long New Englander I have never heard anything like this before. It sounds like something you would expect to hear in a tropical rain forest. Even today, on this very cold January morning, I heard the calls. So I guess they are not migratory birds.

Anybody know what kind of birds these are?

[runawayjim]

I am not sure if this is the right thread but...

Occasionally I stop at the Mobile between Ashburton and Charles Street early in the morning. When I get out and pump the gas I almost always hear these strange and raucous bird calls in the trees across the street. As a life long New Englander I have never heard anything like this before. It sounds like something you would expect to hear in a tropical rain forest. Even today, on this very cold January morning, I heard the calls. So I guess they are not migratory birds.

Anybody know what kind of birds these are?

[Patrick Ward]

I think you forgot the picture, but if it's how you describe, could it be monk parakeets? They've invaded southern CT and caused quite the ruckus (though many like them even though they are an invasive species).

[runawayjim]

I don't have a picture. Too far and too dark. I have heard about large colonies of escaped parakeets in places like Brooklyn but I don't think these are stray pets. They sound bigger that that. It is really very strange.

Didn't some family is RI have to abandon a house because of vultures nesting in the area??

[Cotuit]

Anybody know what kind of birds these are?