Beautification Committee continues work on downtown roundabout
In 2022 the community came together and supported an initiative to improve the center island of our downtown roundabout. This effort was successful because of a partnership with the Parks Department, a successful fund-raiser, and many volunteer hours. The entire area was covered TWICE with cardboard and wood chips to suppress existing weeds and provide a natural ground cover. Then a variety of native plants were added including a beautiful crab apple tree planted by local Girl Scouts. Then 2023 arrived! Over the winter a few plants were damaged and did not survive, and then construction began along Main Street. For several months construction equipment was parking on the center island and this resulted in the loss of a couple of additional plants. A small price to pay for the project being completed in our downtown.
Meanwhile our friend Horsetail (aka Equisetum) thrived! This native plant began filling the nooks and crannies between the established plants and serving as a vegetated ground cover. If you do not plant a ground cover (and we had not yet) nature will insert one for you. However, to some this was unsightly and made the area appear unloved. So came up with a plan. According to the US Forest Service Horsetail spreads from rhizomes which can grow as deep as six feet! This means that weeding will not be an adequate long-term solution for this area.
Here is what we are going to do. Members of the Plymouth Beautification Committee have already started to weed the outside of this landscaped island back about 4-5 feet from the curb. Then in the spring we will be planting a series of low growing ground covers that will fill these spaces. Will there still be horsetail? Yes, of course, but it will not be the focal point any longer and will contribute to a more varied and lush groundcover that will screen the wood chips in the years to come. This has been a wonderful learning opportunity, and will take time to mature into the natural and beautiful landscaped center we all know it can be. If you are interested in volunteering on this or other efforts being organized by the Plymouth Beautification Committee, please contact Joyce Weston at joyce@jcwestondesign.com.
Steve Whitman, Plymouth Beautification Committee