Last summer I came across this community garden at the corner of Northampton and Michigan. It had been designed as a rain garden, though at the time it only consisted of the pergola and unplanted soil (see post). Buffalo ReUse posted some additional info on the corner garden that follows:
The Rain Garden on Northampton/Michigan was built by National Grid on Earth Day in participation with Buffalo ReUse. This is a part of Buffalo ReUse's ReACT! Program - getting businesses and corporations involved in neighborhood development efforts. If you'd like your business to spend a day developing or adopting a greenspace, please contact info@buffaloreuse.org.
One year later, the garden has come alive with a sea of yellow/orange wildflowers. There is a path that winds right through the landscape, leading to the pergola and onto the opposite side. A project like this just goes to show that an unkempt plot of land can be transformed into a vibrant community asset for relatively little money. Also, gardens like this are easy to maintain since they consist of flowers that overtake many of the weeds that are hard to... well... weed out. The rain garden also keeps the rain waters out of the outdated drainage system and out of our lake and river waters.
More than anything else, these types of initiatives show that there is a caring community close at hand. There is no garbage at this corner, and no signs of tampering. These are small advancements that draw people to visit neighborhoods and ultimately live in them. It's quality of life. It's aesthetically pleasing. It's just plain common sense.
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The Rain Garden on Northampton/Michigan was built by National Grid on Earth Day in participation with Buffalo ReUse. This is a part of Buffalo ReUse's ReACT! Program - getting businesses and corporations involved in neighborhood development efforts. If you'd like your business to spend a day developing or adopting a greenspace, please contact info@buffaloreuse.org.
One year later, the garden has come alive with a sea of yellow/orange wildflowers. There is a path that winds right through the landscape, leading to the pergola and onto the opposite side. A project like this just goes to show that an unkempt plot of land can be transformed into a vibrant community asset for relatively little money. Also, gardens like this are easy to maintain since they consist of flowers that overtake many of the weeds that are hard to... well... weed out. The rain garden also keeps the rain waters out of the outdated drainage system and out of our lake and river waters.
More than anything else, these types of initiatives show that there is a caring community close at hand. There is no garbage at this corner, and no signs of tampering. These are small advancements that draw people to visit neighborhoods and ultimately live in them. It's quality of life. It's aesthetically pleasing. It's just plain common sense.
The Amen of nature is always a flower.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
When I went by this several weeks ago before the wildflowers were in bloom, I just thought it was neglected and overgrown. I have to admit now that it's absolutely beautiful! WOW! Caesandra did a great job.