INNERBELT SAGA

   
W. 14th going toward Abbey, my rowhouse on other side of fence at right, exit ramp from I-90 West on left.

Post No. 1 of a series

I had a vision for vegetative screening for the short stretch along W. 14th, from Fairfield down to Abbey, Only eight residences are there, and there are none on the other side of the bridge. I wrote the North of Literary block club, which is supposed to represent residents of this area, I thought. No answer. I wrote Chris Garland of the TWDC. Same stoney silence. I then wrote Mr. Mark Carpenter of ODOT and got a reply!

I was told that TWDC and "residents interested in the proposed vegetative screening in lieu of noise barriers.,,From that workshop, the residents requested the following species be used..." I Googled some of the trees and was appalled! Lilac and Viburnum are lovely and fragrant, although blooming only once a year, while the rugosa roses I suggested have lovely choices that bloom almost constantly and are also fragrant. But some of the other trees, while pretty, would be a disaster. How was this workshop run and by whom that no such information was provided, or even a computer where one could easily find such information? And who were the interested residents and how were they chosen? I never saw anything about an opportunity to be selected in the Tremont newsletter.

You can read my vision in detail and the problems I saw with the trees selected at realneo.us/content/odot-vegetative-screening-site-plans-tremont-west-side-highway-embankment#comment-23230, which I posted as a comment to Henry Senyak's post. Mr. Carpenter did say that "The Design Build Team that is chosen to complete the project will be tasked to prepare exhibits of the landscaping plan and present them to the public for review and comment." That never happened as you will find out in later posts to this series, if you aren't already aware of this fact.

In a comment to that post, Norm posted a picture of some of my old roses that I'd sent him and he had made a header of them.

In my first post to my own blog http://realneo.us/content/i-have-vision-tremont-made-my-very-first-post-..., I said I'd like to hear from hear from people interested in the herbal underplantings I suggested and in the ideas of plantings that produce food, "birders" and educators. Never heard from any of them, although a number of people did post, including a member who grows rugosas, one who has seen them used in this manner in England, and one who points out that other states D.O.T.s are so using them. I am still interested in any information that will be helpful. The links to the rugosas aren't good any longer, but in a later posting you will see pictures and descriptions.

As to the plantings that produce food, I've read about the Amish making ground cherry pie and that ground cherrries sell well at farmer's markets on the West Coast. So I bought a ground cherry plant last year and this, so I can show it and the cherries later to anyone interested, This is what the plant looks like, on the left. On the right is a picture of a ripe cherry with the husk pulled back and the end has been dipped in chocolate to be eaten raw instead of baked in a pie.

At the top of the post to the blog is a picture of an extremely fragrant old Bourbon rose, Mme. Isaac Pereire, from 1881.

To be continued.