Some time ago -- when we would take Allen to 217 -- I started noticing these benches on the sidewalk of a side street that seemed odd. Like, it would be a very small park.
Then I noticed a sign that seemed to say "arboretum". It seemed really small for an arboretum.
We had to check it out.
On Arbor Day 2013 77 native trees and plants were planted. That included 15 different tree species and 11 different plant species.
While the emphasis on native plants is important, it was not the extent of the commitment to sustainability.
Surfaces were built to be porous and the benches that first caught my eye were built out of reclaimed material.
There was helpful signage for a lot of what was done.
It also occurred to me that with such a clear planting date, the arboretum could be a good predictor.
It is one thing to want to plant native species, but another if you don't know what to expect in terms of eventual size and how much room to allow for growth.
You can get a good idea for combinations and spatial relations if you are looking at your own property.
You can also get a view of the overall process at https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/1545054f-0e70-4248-a261-0049e832ae12.
In some ways it reminds me of the water efficient demonstration garden at the water district, but with a different focus.
I suspect most of the visitors it gets are local to the neighborhood, but there is nothing wrong with that.
It is more to the point that they took something that wasn't really being used and created something useful and beautiful.
There is room for lots more of that.
COVID: This is all outdoors and it is easy to spread out.
Accessibility: This should be pretty good. There are sidewalks and paths, it is in a small space, and there is parking right alongside.
Also, you have lots of plants cycling through carbon dioxide to provide you with more oxygen; that should be helpful.
Related posts:
https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2025/04/planting-native-species.html