I’ve always lamented the city spending so much money on landscaping the street’s medians, because they have to be watered and maintained. Then when they decide they need to use the center for another lane for traffic control, out goes all the lovely landscaping and in goes concrete paving. Yes the landscaping is lovely but I honestly feel like it’s a real waste of tax dollars that could be used in much more important, more beneficial, ways. This Pampas Grass on a local median was shining so nicely in the sun I had to capture it for Flash of Red.
Grasses catch the light so nicely. You should see the landscaping they just put in our 1 mile stretch of road that took them 2 years to complete! The urban foresters here aim for shade to cool the roads.
@danette oh I can just imagine, Danette. Florida and California have lovely roadside plantings. I don’t object to beauty on main thoroughfares and highways. These expensive installations on city streets are the ones I just can’t understand the economics of.
@pcoulson I am too! But I’ve driven by these medians after several years and the city is tearing everything out, piling it on trucks to go to the dump, so they can add a lane in the center of the road. They are doing it right now on a road very close to me that has only had the landscaped median for 3 years. It just doesn’t make sense
Pampas grass is very lovely with the light in it! I’m sure any NZ followers you have will be very familiar with these grasses but they shine in the hot sun.
I would think this might be more economically sustainable hopefully - I understand what you're saying but on the other side, I'm part of a small (basically 3-4 women) who maintain 4 intersections downtown, working once a month - and supplies aren't costing the city very much - these triangular spaces really add a great touch of color for most of the year and get a lot of favorable comments from people passing by. Our little town needs all the help it can get :)
Beautiful capture of light.
I hate to disagree on you about landscaping the medians ... I am sure that weeds would grow up in place of your lovely pampas grass if the medians were not maintained.
And, is pampas grass not fairly drought resistant? I'm sure it does not need a lot of water.
I think anything we do to make our world a prettier place is well worth it.(keeps the crime down).
@farmreporter@milaniet ladies I agree with everything you have said. I love and appreciate urban landscaping. I do believe my city’s planning department needs a lesson in budgeting though. The installation of sprinklers, planting of trees, grasses etc. then the maintenance really adds up. To rip everything out to put in an extra lane in 2 year’s time does not make any sense. Our city has a master street plan and if the road is going to be redone in two years, they can put those red brick pavers down inside the median curbing it looks nice and doesn’t require sprinklers or maintenance. Then it’s so easy to remove for the new lane addition. 😊
February 4th, 2019
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
I hate to disagree on you about landscaping the medians ... I am sure that weeds would grow up in place of your lovely pampas grass if the medians were not maintained.
And, is pampas grass not fairly drought resistant? I'm sure it does not need a lot of water.
I think anything we do to make our world a prettier place is well worth it.(keeps the crime down).