Every Plant Needs a Steward

Keeping urban plants healthy requires committment.

Too often that committment is underestimated.

 

Keeping plants alive, or better yet healthy, in any environment can be a challenge.

In urban environments, where dirty litter, harsh pollutants, heat islands, and poor soil conditions abound, the challenge to maintain plant life--often non-native species--becomes much greater. 

Unfortunately, this challenge is too often unmet. What results, naturally, is an eyesore of burnt-out, dead or dying plants. A symbol of neglect.

Here, then, is my advice to those folks considering plants:

Before you invest the time, effort and money in planting plants, ask yourself if you are prepared to love them.

• Will you water them each day, morning and night?
• Prune their dead branches?
• Aerate their soil?
• Sing to them?

Will you be their urban plant steward?

Widest Main Street in America?

Newburgh, NY

A google search for "Widest Main Street in America" gives you a long list of cities claiming to have the widest main street in America, including:

• Onowa, Iowa
• Greenwood, South Carolina
• Keene, New Hampshire
• Canal Street, New Orleans
• Plains, Kansas
• Newburgh, New York

Putting aside the obvious question of which city really has the widest main street, let's ask another question: should a city promote this fact? My two cents:

I refer to the old adage quality, not quantity. Sure, a 100' wide main street might put your city on the map,  but unless it appropriately meets the needs of its users, encourages economic activity, and is a welcoming place to be, I'm not certain a city should highlight this fact.

Case in point: Newburgh, NY

Unfortunately, the enormous width of Newburgh's main street makes the city seem even emptier and depressed than it might be if it had, say, a 50' wide main street. In short, the size of Newburgh's main street is disproportionate for a city of 25,000 people, and the result is an image of a sparse, nostalgic, depressed downtown core.

Of course, urban design is just one of many contributing factors to Newburgh's state of affairs. An influx of social services, a high crime rate, struggling nat'l/ regional economy, and mediocre political leadership, among others, all make Newburgh the tough place it is today.

But a narrower, more intimate main street would go a long way in alleviating Newburgh's problems. At least on the surface.

Korean War Veterans Plaza

Korean War Veterans Plaza, Downtown Brooklyn

The Korean War Veterans Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn is a quiet space. London Plane trees, wooden park bences and Bishop Crook lamposts give it a distinctive municipal look and feel. It just so happens that the steps leading into the northern end of the park feature a seven-foot wall perfect for performing BMX bike tricks.

Expert Watch Repair

Joralemon Street, Downtown Brooklyn

Street vending is often a stepping stone to a bigger, more stable and lucrative business operation. But "Expert Watch Repair," located outside the Municipal Building in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, seems content as is. And why shouldn't it be? Great location, lines of loyal customers, low overhead! Sounds like a business plan to me.