Wildflower Gardens on Vacant Lots

[AllanY2525]

The initial cost of turning a vacant lot into a wild flower garden is about as close to ZERO as
one can get in this life.  A packet of seeds might cost all of about $2.00.  For about $15.00 or
so, you could get a sack of mixed, assorted seeds big enough to seed an entire standard
city lot (ie: ~40' by ~100-120' lot).

The remaining cost would be that of a one or two day rental for a roto tiller, a couple of gallons
of gas for it, and some good, strong human beings to make it all happen.

The money saved by converting a grassy lot (which requires regular and repeated mowing all
summer long) to a wildflower garden with little to no maintenance would MORE than pay for
the project in VERY short order.

[ForumManager]

In regard to mosquitoes and rats in tall vegetation.

Mosquitoes breed in standing water.

Rats like sheltered areas like felled wood, trash piles, pipes.
My neighbors had rats that burrowed into a brick retaining wall next to their driveway.  They have the most well kept yard on the block.  I also had friends that found rats took up housekeeping under their dog's house.  Since he was indoor outdoor he wasn't there all the time and they had a feast whenever he left the feed bowl unemptied.

Meadowlike areas attract beneficial insects, birds, snakes.  These feed on the bad critters.
They also attract the nuisance  insects away from adjacent yards. If your lawn is mowed and kept they prefer to go to the tall grass.

I live near the old Washington School site.  The place was filled with bats and ever since it was leveled we've had 10 times (maybe more)  the mosquitoes.

It was asked  in another thread when plants and animals become problems. 
It is those that are not kept in check by other plants and animals.

There are MANY meadow friendly plants that can also serve as food for neighborhoods.
Berries spread quickly.
Plants like salsify, Jerusalem artichoke, and many herb plants such as the mints can take over an area quickly. Thyme, oregano, cilantro, dill, caraway, sage, bergamot, parsley, horseradish, rhubarb naturalize very easily. Even sunflowers, lettuce and tomatoes volunteer. These are the edibles...there's a whole nuther huge list of  decorative plants like the ones westside mentioned. Iris' could be used for wet areas to help dry them up. These plants aren't wild, but their ancestors were at one time.  Of course this would warrant an initial  investment.

Could these plants become a problem? perhaps

I was driving down by the tracks near Division Street once and two Asian ladies were gathering something  in the overgrowth. I asked what they were picking. They spoke little English but they managed to communicate  wild onions.

Foraging gardens with flowers intermixed would be a nice alternative.

[Towntalk]

On Ask This Old House - Roger the landscape expert was dealing with the problem of a homeowner who had a very beautiful tree, but it shaded the undercover to the point where nothing would grow, so after trimming the tree to allow in more light, he planted semi-wild plants that thrived in that environment, and the results were simply beautiful. The results were also low maintenance for the homeowner.

Mill Creek Park is a great resource, and I'm sure that they would help those willing to take that advice and do the work.

Does anyone know if they sell seeds and plants at Fellows Riverside Garden? I'm sure there are commercial nurseries in the area that also sell plants and seeds that are not usually found in small gardens.

[northside lurker]

I think wild flowers are a great idea.  But, maybe the type of plants should be chosen carefully so that it is clear that they aren't just overgrown weeds.  I'm sure there are Mill Creek Park employees who could advise on good choices.

I am slowly eliminating grass in my own yard by making planting beds with various types of salvia, black-eyed-susans, and plain old daisies.  I chose these plants because I'm lazy, and they require minimum maintenance.   The salvia (ornamental sage) starts to bloom in mid May and continue to bloom until frost.  The daisies bloom in late June and continue (sporadically, after the first burst) until frost.  The black-eyed-susans bloom later in the summer and also continue until frost.  After frost, it can all be cut back--and it will start all over in spring.

[Towntalk]

I'm confused Jay. On previous posts you rightfully pointed out areas of the city where the grass wasn't cut asking where the city was, and why were they not caring for these lots, and now you say that the city is paying too much to have these lots mowed.

I'm sure you realize that there is a city ordinance requiring grass to be cut, and a fine set for failure to keep grass mowed.

The measure of any city is the visual condition, and certainly high grass and weeds are viewed in the negative just as is trash and litter.

What is acceptable in the country is not acceptable in a city.

Overgrown lots breed mosquitoes and rats, and I'm sure no one wants that.

I've seen gardens that specialize in wild plants and they are simply beautiful ... some that would put Fellows Riverside Garden to shame, but they were cared for by experts and trained help.

If we could get a group together under the supervision of the folks from Mill Creek Park to turn some of the empty lots into wild flower/plants gardens and taught them how to maintain them, because they take as much maintenance as any other garden, if not more due to the very nature of wild plants, the team could over time spread out and take on more projects.

They could start on Elm Street, Fifth Avenue, and Logan Avenue and spread out from there.

[jay]

I don't think many citizens will tolerate wildflowers growing on vacant lots.   There is a perception in this city that all property should look like a manicured yard.   I contend that the city spends too much time and money mowing vacant lots.  The 2010 Plan calls for the greening of the city especially in the areas with few remaining homes.  This aspect of the plan will be a hard sell.