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THE BOULEVARD BEDS
(Surrounding the Grenadier Restaurant Parking Lot, HighPark, Toronto, Ontario)
HighPark Volunteer Stewardship Program started planning the Boulevard Beds during Fall, 2000 as a way to show the public what native plants look like. This is a high-traffic area, with many people unaccustomed to native vegetation driving in and out. The three Beds were called the Peninsula or North Bed (the northernmost, adjoining the Tablelands), the Centre Bed, and the South Bed.
Discussion involved:
(a)What kinds of plants would survive with low maintenance, high heat and sun (exaggerated by reflection from the concrete paving and black top around the Beds) with little shade, in soil made up of asphalt chunks and other debris.
To address this the VSPs purchased sand to improve soil composition on the Beds, since High Park is composed of highly sandy soil from the former Lake Iroquois, and Park plants have adapted to it.
Lists of plants, plants which did not survive, and weedy species attached.
(b)Where to put paths, in this high-traffic area, to channel people accustomed to walking all over the Beds.
To address this problem fences were constructed of old tree trunks placed along the Centre and South Beds, and these helped considerably in stopping people and dogs from trampling plants. Tree trunks were also used to define paths, but these and the fences have been moved.
Urban Forestry placed small Serviceberry and Oak trees on the Centre and South Beds. Starting in 2001, extensive clearing of deeply-rooted weeds was necessary. Planting started in that same year, with continuous weeding.
Most of those plants survived to bloom in 2002, when further planting and weeding took place. Seeds were collected in 2002.
By spring 2003 it seemed the plants might be gaining some ascendancy over the weeds, with diverse blooms including white Strawberry flowers, pale pink Roses, deep purple Hoary Vervain and flamboyant orange Butterfly Weed. A small amount of planting has taken place in 2003 and more planting and weeding will be necessary. The Beds will always require some maintenance, chiefly in the form of weeding out invasives, but the native plants have shown they can survive extreme cold, extreme heat, drought and small amounts of trampling. As native vegetation becomes better established a small habitat will be formed for squirrels, chipmunks, butterflies and birds. Wildlife in turn aid the proliferation of native plants and the whole creates a colourful, fragrant and soothing margin around the car park.
Approximately 675 hours have been spent to dateplanning, preparing, weeding, planting and general maintenance.
LIST OF PLANTS
Scientific Name / Common Name / Type / Colour / Size / Blooming TimeAmelanchier sp. / Serviceberry / Tree / White / 6’ to 40’ / Early spring
Quercus velutina / Black Oak / Tree / - / 5’ to 12’ / -
Rus Typhina / Staghorn Sumac / Tree / Greenish or yellow / 3’ to 20’ / Summer
Andropogon gerardi / Big Bluestem / Grass / - / 2’ to 4’ / August to October
Carex pennsylvanica / Pennsylvania Sedge / Grass / Flowers brown to reddish purple / Less than 16’ / Early spring
Elymus canadensis / CanadaRye / Grass / - / 2.5’ to 6’ / -
Festuca Rubra / Red Fescue / Grass / - / Up to 3’ / -
Panicum virgatum / Switch Grass / Grass / Flowers purple then tan / Up to 7 feet / -
Schyzachyrium scoparius / Little Bluestem Grass / Grass / Blue/green/
red hues / 2’ to 4’ / White seedstalks in late October
Sorghastrum nutans / Indian Grass / Grass / - / 1’ to 3’ / August to September
Carex Foenea / Sandbank Sedge / Sedge / - / - / -
Carex merritt-fernaldii / Fernald’s Sedge / Sedge / - / - / -
Anaphalis margaritacea / Pearly Everlasting / Forb / White / 1’ to 3’ / July to September
Antennaria neglecta / Field Pussytoes / Forb / White / 4” to 12” / Spring
Aquilegia canadensis / Columbine / Forb / Red / 1’ to 2’ / April to July
Asclepias syriaca / Common Milkweed / Forb / Pink / 1’ to 2’ / June to July
Asclepias tuberosa / Butterfly Weed / Forb / Orange / 1’ to 2’ / June to September
Aster ericoides / Heath Aster / Forb / White / 1’ to 3’ / July to October
Aster nova-anglaea / New England Aster / Forb / Purple / 1’ to 3 / June to September
Aster oolentangiensis / Sky Blue Aster / Forb / Blue / 2’ to 4’ / August to October
Aster urophyllus / Arrow Leaved Aster / Forb / Purple / 2’ to 5’ / August to October
Ceanothus americana / New Jersey Tea / Forb / White / 1.5’ to 4’ / June to September
Desmodium canadense / Showy tick trefoil / Forb / Purple / 2’ to 6’ / Summer
Fragaria Vesca / Wild Strawberry / Forb / White / Creeping / May
Hypericum prolificum / Shrubby St. Johnswort / Forb / Yellow / Up to 3’ / July to September
Liatris cylindracea / Blazing Star / Forb / Bright Purple / 1-2 feet / Mid-July to early August
Monarda fistulosa / Wild Bergamot / Forb / Lavender / 3 feet / July to August
Oenethera biennis / Evening Primrose / Forb / Yellow / 3 feet / May to June
Penstemon digitalis / Foxglove Beard-tongue / Forb / White / 1-2 feet / May to June
Penstemon hirsutus / Hairy Beard-tongue / Forb / Blue / 1 foot / May to June
Potentilla canadensis / Dwarf Cinquefoil / Forb / Yellow / 2" to 4” / March to June
Rosa blanda / Smooth Rose / Forb / Pink / 2’ to 5’ / Late spring and summer
Rudbeckia hirta / Black-eyed Susan / Forb / Yellow / 2’ to 3’ / June to October
Sisyrinchium montanum / Blue-eyed grass / Forb / Blue / 4’ to 24” / May to June
Solidago bicolour / Silver Rod / Forb / White / 1’ to 3’ / July to October
Solidago hispida / Forb / Yellow / 1’ to 3’ / July to October
Solidago juncea / Early Goldenrod / Forb / Yellow / 2’ to 4’ / July to September
Solidago nemoralis / Gray (Old Field) Goldenrod / Forb / Yellow / 1 to 2 feet / August to October
Solidago pasphaltoides / Aster pasphaltoides, Upland White Goldenrod / Forb / Yellow / 10 to 12 inches / August to September
Sylphium perfoliaturm / Cup Plant / Forb / Yellow / 6’ / August to September
Verbena stricta / Hoary Vervain / Forb / Purple / 1’ to 2’ / July to September
LIST OF PLANTS WHICH DID NOT SURVIVE FIRST YEAR (COLD WINTER)
Scientific Name / Common Name / Type / Colour / Size / Blooming TimeAnemone virginiana / Thimbleweed / Forb / White / 2 to 3 feet / Summer
Campanula rotundifolia / Harebell / Forb / Blue / 6 to 18” / June to October
Lespedeza hirta / Hairy Bushclover / Forb / Green / 2 to 3 feet / July to October
Lupinus perennis / Wild Lupine / Forb / Blue / 1 to 2 feet / May to June
Solidago squarrosa / Stout Goldenrod / Forb / Yellow / 1.5 to 5 feet / August to October
LIST OF WEEDY SPECIES
Scientific Name / Common Name / Type / Colour / Size / Blooming TimeAcer platanoides / Norway Maple / Tree
Alianthus altissima / Tree of Heaven / Tree
Agropyron repens / Quack Grass / Grass
Bromus ciliatus / Brome Grass / Grass
Digitaria sanguinalis / Crab Grass / Grass
Phleum pratense / Timothy Grass / Grass
Poa pratensis / Kentucky Bluegrass / Grass
Ambrosia artemesiifolia / Ragweed / Forb
Arctium minus / Common Burdock / Forb
Chenopodium album / Lamb’s Quarters / Forb
Cichorium intybus / Chicory / Forb
Dianthus armeria / Deptford Pink / Forb
Epilobium parviflorum / Willow Herb / Forb
Erigeron annuus / Daisy Fleabane / Forb
Erigeron canadensis / Horseweed / Forb
Euphorbia / Spurge / Forb
Lepidium virginicum / Virginia Pepper-grass / Forb
Medicago lupulina / Black Medic / Forb
Plantago major / Common Plantain / Forb
Portulaca / Purslane / Forb
Robinia pseudo-acacia / Black Locust / Forb
Solidago canadensis / Canada Goldenrod / Forb
Sonchus oleraceus / Sow Thistle / Forb