Preparing Ground
Before Carriage House x E. Morris - September 2025
After: weeds removed, native and ornamental plantings, September 2025
We spent more time cutting and spraying the Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) at the intersection of Carriage House and E Morris Ave.
As we worked we talked with several neighbors walking by about our project. We explained how today, we were pulling weeds and preparing to expand our planting area beyond the small area we seeded in the spring. We will do a round of fall seeding and another round next spring.
In the meantime, we planted some native plants like Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata), Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), and Hairy Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum pilosum).
We also planted some ornamental species like peonies, lavender, and catmint. One of the main objectives of this project is to guide viewers towards an appreciation of environmentally sustainable plants and practices. These ornamental plants serve to beautify the space as it transitions into a mature planting of native flowers. These ornamentals have a more immediate visual impact than the fledgling native plants (some of which take several years to develop and sometimes have more subtle flowers). Our strategic use of more familiar plants that are not as likely as wildflowers to be viewed as weeds is part of our attempt to transition these spaces in a way that the community can appreciate. Stay tuned for fall bulb planting coming up next!
After weeding, planting, and watering, we mulched the area with cardboard and leaves. We will use more wood chip mulch a little later in the season and mark a perimeter for our expanded bed with some rocks so that our new plantings aren’t mowed.