Lovejoy Community Garden: "Let it Rain!"

Hey ! Put most of these plants in your front yard, then add a KEARNS FOR MAYOR sign. Guess what your Nazi "neighbors" call out on you? A $160 ticket from "Officer Stott", for "overgrown weeds" - thrown next to the porch, a couple of weeks after it's too late to reply! NICE, wonderful, "Good" neighbors! So glad I've owned on the West Side for over 22 years, so scumbags who live in the 'burbs can prey on our cars and property every morning. Surprised people hate The City? Don't be.

Three things:
1) Why not put trees in as well? Something unusual for Buffalo like a tall Tulip Tree or a magnolia.
2) I reallize a rain garden is not just beneficial but inexpensive...but there are many alternatives for parking lots including new types of porous concrete.

oh one last thought...and its just a thought really...but I wonder if it is possible to have some storm sewars over-flow into such rain gardens instead of over flowing into our rivers and estuaries and lakes.

which brings me to point 3:
3) there is something called phytoremediation where certain plants can either absorb and thus encapsulate or breakdown pollutants. Everything from heavy metals, to chemicals, etc.

Plant a rain garden with plants on the list of phytoremediation and storm sewage over-flows could find an environment friendlier way than just over-flowing into our waterways. Kind of like how Cazenovia Creek is allowed to flood Cazenovia Park in the spring and return to parkland for the remainder of the year.

Just brainstorming on the already civic and patriotic community of Lovejoy!

When I first saw the blurb for this article on the Home Page I thought Dave Mejewski would be in the rest of the story. Good work, Dave, Steve and Henry!
.
I've been researching phytoremediation for a few months now and feel it can be the way to convert all the demo lots to healthy soil with the right movement from the people. We are all at risk with the soil in the city. Additionally, we need to be more self-sufficient as neighborhood and family health is concerned. Planting heavy metal absorbing plants on the perimeter of these types of lots, with a raised bed - high enough to allow access for wheelchairs in the center with square foot veggies and herbs could be a first step. The following year the positions change.
.
Now that I think about it, I need more feedback from all areas. Be looking for an article, folks.

The neighborhood of my youth. Though we never considered ourselves Lovejoy ;)Come to think of it we never had a "name".

Great to see what was once a hazardous site (which we used to sneak our bikes in to ride the "hills") continue to redefine itself.

Mosquitoville.

Not to be a party pooper but the flooded image on top looks terrible. I get the point of this but wouldn't drain tile be a more suitable solution so there's not pools of standing water which leads to mosquitos and such? How long does this water stand before its absorbed? Won't it eventually wash away the soil and mulch?

Thanks Marilyn. We came in late on this project to help Liz, Bill, Marlies and all the vols. This was a huge undertaking for them and they needed some logisitc/technical assistance. We did not design it - we merely came in to help on this one.
There is phyto and bio remediation tests ongoing in the city as we speak. There have been intitial tests of minor soil contaminants and follow up plant tissue testing is now pending - along with follow up soil tests as well. There is also some experimental Myco remediation (fungi) going on as well. Myco remediation has proven to be an immensely more effective remediation tool than many other conventional methods - especially for petrolhydrocarbons and spills in soils. Bio remediation - the use of various composts and natural amendments to purify contaminated soils, is also ongoing. Some remediation is still done with enzymes or a combination of any of these above methods.
Standing Water: The rain water - in a properly designed rain garden or bio retention cell - is designed to stand for no more than 48 hours after the rain event - at the most. Mosquito eggs/larvae need appx. 10-12 days to hatch. This is often a misunderstood aspect of rain gardens. Many old-school people still refer to them as "mosquito ponds" and they are misunderstadning the whole concept/process. It akes patience and a LOT of time to change ways that people have subscribed to for 30 or more years. Sometimes they are simply stubborn. We run in to this obstacle regularly.

Drain tile would not address the purpose of the whole concept of rain gardens and bio retention: using natural methods to treat issues of developments that have imposed negative impacts on a site. (sometimes, underdrains are installed as an added insurance backup system under certain site conditions - and each site is different. There should be no recipe design for any of these LID systems - ever. Each site must be assessed) - This rain water is now treated as a valuable asset and commodity rather than something that is looked upon as waste, useless and get it the heck out of here back in the the CSO system. True sustainability, and/or regenerative design, dictates that we now treat once abused and neglected resources as assets and valuable and useful. Drain tiles need to harness and direct runoff in to a "system" somewhere - storm drains or catch basins typically. This would not solve the problem, it would only exacerbate it. And it is not sustainable. As this site matures and the grasses grow and the deep fibrous native plant roots develop and establish deeper in to the soil (3-5 years), there will be much less standing water for the duration. The native plants will thrive and spread and this will eventually be a green and colorful native landscape. These things take time in many cases.

PS - Marilyn, if you like, I have a good amount of technical info and case studies on phyto, myco and bio remediation processes. FYI - Chernobyl has, for 20+ years, been cleaning their site with the use of Helianthus - which is a form of common sunflower. This is done in many locations around the world. There are some issues with the disposal of the plants that have taken up the toxins in to their tissue. Some can be burned, some composted, and others are posing obstacles for researchers. A key component to phyto remediation is that in the majority of cases it only takes up a certain individual chemical in the soil - therefore breaking the toxic "chain" is all that happens. It does not extract all the chemcials - just breaks the chain that causes the harmful affects. That is all that is needed.

Neither Merrill, Webster nor I can find a reference to phytoremediation or rhizosepheric, which in some way are related to metallurgy, which I know.
.
Every time I read the name Dave Majewski, I remember not just a Majewski family menber, but I also remember the Misters Dan Majeski, junior and senior, whose wonderful nursery is now defunct.
.
But, most of all, what I get out of this topic, besides that it will a functional east side feature, is that metal content in this nifty Lovejoy community garden won't matter in the least to what will rapidly become its happy inhabitants, the Canadian geese. They don't care a fig about metal content; they will love it!

First proofread, THEN comment, firstproofreadthencomment, firstproofreadthencomment...
.
The geese and skeeters will appreciate the WATER, not the metal content. Hey! It's November 19th and it is NOT snowing! It is raining. That means the water tables are going back up.

Geese are already "camped" out the the winter on the ball fields. Saw about 50 of them today. They prefer the tender grasses that thaw in the sunlight - if not too much snow. Water typically drops in about 48 hours on this site. Less than would be preferred, but acceptable. It catches a HUGE area of impervious runoff - HUGE.

There are sooooo many other Regenerative, Sustainable and Low Impact projects and tests going on around Buffalo. They just are not made known to the public or reported by the major media. These projects and tests are not the sexy and glamorous stories that stir controvery, etc... They are only cutting edge technologies that are being tried and implemented to better our Buffalo environment and to teach children how to live this way. Thats all. Not a big deal.
There are some incredible concepts and advances in vacant lot use (as classrooms?) and other related progress. We do not see 10,000 vacant lots in Buffalo - we see it as the potential for 10,000 Class rooms instead! More will be available on that this coming winter as the support and $$ grows for this program.
There are also some very real Low Impact and Sustainable techniques planned for many areas of the Canal Side project. They are lsitening and have some good people on board. It is becoming real - in spite of what most people think. They will see eventually.
We have to walk softly with the remediation projects - they are a sensitive issues with environmental offices and other officials. It is not a straight forward system all the time - care must be given in the process. A little harmless testing here and there is fine, but large scale remediation MUST be managed, controlled, monitored, reviewed, etc... it is an expensive approach.

Buffalo is becoming - slowly - the national leader in Sustainbility, Regenerative Design and Green altogether. Watch and listen. It is happening as we speak! Truly.

The NAAEE - N. American Assoc. of Env Education is brining it's national conference hear to Buffalo next Sept. 800-1000 people will stay here for 4 days. That will infuse appx. $1 million in to our economy. Why did they choose Buffalo? They chose us because out of 8 other cities they decided that Buffalo has shown the most committment and progress - per capita - to Green and Sustainability and that our hotels are big on Green as well. We also have good tranportaion, theatre, centrally located, restaurants, parks, neam it... and Sept is a beautiful time of year to be here. In the end, Buffalo was chosen because of her Sustainable practices. It is happening - we are growing in to a national leader.

Crisa - Rhizospheric refers to anything occurring in the rhizosphere - which is the immediate area - or zone - that surrounds or entails the root zone/s of a plant or group of plants: the actual roots, soil, micro-organisms, mycelia, fungo, everything... in that rhizo-zone. Simply grab a shovel, dig up a small shrub, lift it up and you can physically see the rhizosphere. However, the majority of the activity is micro-scopic. You can find something on Wikipedia perhaps?

PS - As you might have ascertained - I am not related to the Majeski Nursery - or the now defunct one. We spell our names differently. Senior was a good friend and advisor thogh. We had fun together and he was the consummate host and business person. Things drastically changed down hill after his passing. Long story. Almost - seemingly - overnight. Too bad.
I have many fond memories of Dan senior and early morning coffee/donuts... I never bought much there - they were geared to large retail and assorted items for the novice gardeners, etc... never anything on the lot for large wholesale clients or specialty plants/materials. I used to just stop in and say hello and shoot the $%@T with Sr. before heding out for the day. Good man. Will always be remembered as a man of his word, honest and friendly.

Someone should truly do a short story or essay....on the Majeski Nursery and it'e legacy. He is one of the few that started from NOTHING - ZIP - NADA..... 50+ years ago he started selling annuals on an 8 foot table at the market - a few at a time - then xmas trees...then turned it in to one of WNY's - at the time - most successful nursery businesses ever. It was worth big $$$ and in the PERFECT location.

He died a man with many, many friends, colleagues and admirers that all respected him. I suppose that is the way to leave this earth. What more could you ask.

A $9.99 Wisconsin Willow (from ALDI, of all places! ) took care of my backyard flooding - this (formerly) little skinny stick sucks up water like crazy, and has gone from a puny sapling to a BIG fat shade tree in less than 3 years. First to bud in Spring, last to lose leaves in Fall.

Marilyn - we have used worms in the past - as part of a comprehensive approach - for soil remediation. There were several metals present - the typical arsenic, mercury and lead, as well as nickel and cadmium. This was an old, old neglected industrial site from trains and trucking - dating back to the 20's and before.
Worms - coupled with plants and specific compost mixes - are one of the best approaches for remediation. Worms can nearly live and thrive in any environment and they are incredibly prolific. We used red wigglers at the time - about 50,000 for a 1/4 acre site - along with about 10lbs of northern crawlers. To many people, at the time, this seemed archaic and "weird" to them. They laughed and scoffed. Subsequent tests showed this worked. Since we have not been contracted by this commercial client for 3 years, we no longer have access to this secure property and cannot do follow ups.
FYI - red wigglers are the most active and they multiply the best - but they come from down south and they can be very sensitive to the weatehr extremes up here. We had to follow the release instructions explicitely. Night time, 55 degrees or warmer, moist soils, and more....

Mr Green Jeans - Willows (Salix) are an excellent swm plant. Just not near a structure or storm water conveyance system. But they are one of the best. They are the first choice in riparian preservation and restoration as well. They not only thrive in wet areas, they sequester toxins well and provide needed shade to regulate river temps.

I saw a mention in this string about plants/trees on the perimeter of parking lots only........ That is true, to a degree. First, I really have to commend that comments from everyone - they demonstrate that people are showing a keen interest and knowledge in our urban environment; more than I assumed.
To address total parking lot - petroleum based asphalt - contaminated runoff, the best method is bio retention cells. The parking lot has to be either a new one or an existing one that is regraded, which sometimes can be costly. It is best to plan and design this from te very, very beginning - which saves $$ and resources and is the truly sustainable method.
Bio retention cells are specifically and specially designed landscape areas within the parking lot - usually on the perimeter but can be incorporated within central islands - and these "cells" then, by virtue of thier planting medium, gravels, depth, compost, and native plants, then have all stgorm water runoff - contaminated - directed right in to them - intentionally. Their success has proven, locally, that they can b e 100% effective and provide runoff mitigation far beyond what would be typically expected. BR Cells are mandated in some cites and counties across the US. They will be mandated here, just a matter of time. The city is catching on to this storm water best management practice and they have been actively pursuing opportunities to implement such storm water management systems.

DAVE MAJEWSKI: I very much agree with sho'nuff. Thank you for the information concerning the history of that east side area.
.
I know that you are not a member of the Majeski family. (Ma--jew-ski/Ma-jess-key)
.
Over many years, my husband and I were regular customers at the Majeski Nursery. We always got quality plants and sound advice--we miss that now.
.
And, MR GREENJEANS (and anyone buying growing things at other than a professional nursery.) Sounds as if you got a great deal! But, be aware that when stores sell at terrifically low prices, they are often selling professionals' rejects. And, it is absolutely necessary for the purchaser to know the plants because the employees rarely do.
.
I feel uncomfortable,(or more likely, I feel boastful), when I, the shopper, am able to explain to a store's garden shop employee the differences between annual and perennial, flowering and fruit-bearing, dwarf and full-height! But I do enjoy that the employee appears to appreciate learning.

Since it is unlikely that many people are still following this stream of comments - perhaps it is a good time to reveal some info about what Crisa brought up about buying at nurseries.....
YEars ago - while I was changing careers and learning, learning, learning....as much as possible, I took a management position at a large and well known local nursery - no, NOT Majeski's! :)
I was at this nursery for only four months - Dyngus Day thru July 4th actually. In this time I learned more about the industry and how things operate than I have in the subsequent 13 years following.
I must note that there are a couple of nurseries in WNY, in particular Russels TSF, Murrays, Lockwoods and Galleys, and a few others as well, these just come to mind right away - wherein they have true knowledgeable professionals on board that are educated, experienced and honest. The same people return each year for a REASON.
However, that being said, there are others in the area that are shameful and it is a miracle of nature as to how they even make $$ at what they ATTEMPT to do.
Anyway - when I managed this one retail component of a large nursery years ago - and I knew plants and hort and design at the time - we would often get loads of plants in on shipments - perhaps 1,000 at a time. These plants came in CHEAP and the owner gobbled them up at the low price only to resell for the profit - which I have no problem with. That is the consummate capitalistic process that is the free market economy and I live by that today - although with integrity, honesty and character.
This nursery owner would gobbel up lets say 1,000 berberis thunbergii - Japanese Barberry - which is a non native invasive species by the way. The follwoing week, we were instructed that this plant would be the "cure-all" to every landscape ailment: Sun, wet, shade, dry, pests, slopes, aesthetic, etc.... we were told to "sell these plants at all costs and make the $$ in doing it."

Needless to say, I quit on the 4th of July - only to be true to them during a busy part of the season. I could not be a part of a business that intentionally mislead innocent people in to thinking that these plants - and many others some days - would be the cure all. There is no "cure all" plant created yet. NONE.

Moreover, the nursery - and many still do - pay very little in most positions and they have to "replenish" their work force throughout the year. Rarely, if ever, do they get people that are horticulturalists, experienced, designers, motivated, etc... Then, the nursery owner puts these new people on the front lines to sell, sell, sell and answer detailed inquires of the customers. It has been going on for decades and is still a common practice. That is why you see advertisements for nursery positions all season long. The people with the real knowledge and experience usually do not take the positions because they can do much better elsewhere for much more $$.
NOT ALL nurseries practice this - NOT ALL. Many do, but NOT ALL - did I make that clear?!
I was a direct part of it - witnessed it - lived it and got out of it asap. I questioned the unethical practice at times and was asked to keep my mouth shut or be fired.
I must admit though that I learned much about the industry and nursery operations - which I think is very important to anyone wanting to go in to the design, hort or contracting field.

I was originally hired as a designer - and then was "elevated" to retail manager. I saw their designs. I witnessed the practices. They had many generic and stamped designs in drawers and would change the shapes a little and the addresses and a coupe of plants and submit that to the customer and charge them $500 for it. Disgusting!!
But - the customer would get the design for "free" if they let the nursery do the install and they bought all the plants from the nursery - of course! The nurseries had/have the BIG $$ to offer this "free" serive or product - and NOTHING is free - nothing. You will pay some way some time. The nurseries would put some small professional designers and consultants our of business for their "free" service they offered. And - ironically, many of those independent people would then come running to the nursery for a new job!
A ludicrous treadmill if there ever was one.

IT is a treadmill that never ends. And 90% of people do not see it. They trust the nursery and not a certified, educated, experienced independent professional. The nursery is going to win-win-win no matter what. You are going to buy your design, accessories, plants, bird baths, ornaments, mulch, etc.. from them and that is all - ALL - that matters in the end.
You will come back next year because you got a good price and what you assumed to be a good deal - with a smile. People still think of "value" as being the cheapest price for something and NOT what you get for that price or what your dollar actually benefited. We have been brainwashed in to perverting the true meaning of value. We forget or are completely ignorant of, what else comes, or does not, along with a good price: service, knowledge, follow-up, HONESTY, skill, experience, dedication, etc...

I don't think of department store nurseries as actual nurseries. I consider them to be simply one more department of several departments within a department store!

DAVE MAJEWSKI, Thank you also for the information in your 11/22/09 8:17PM comment above.