flowers – SaveOld2StTree.org

Tree and Green Space Haters in Philly

Posted on July 30, 2016Leave a comment

Tree and Green Space Haters in Philly

We got a kick out of the comments on Facebook and other sites regarding our campaign to maintain open space and a 80 year old tree in South Philadelphia. Some will make you laugh and others will make you go what? Please help save open space in development projects and sign and share our petition today.

https://www.change.org/p/councilman-mark-squilla-save-old-2-st-tree

Here are some of the best:

Hey Suburbanites, welcome to Philly, land of concrete. If you want trees everywhere, move back to the Culdesac!

Want more trees. Move to Jersey! Worried about oxygen. Get rid of the factories. Car exhaust. Ride a bike.

If you’re stupid enough to live in an urban environment you should have to take a bus to see a tree.

Really?! Wildlife?!!!! Rabid pigeons? Rats? Roaches… Progress

Other comments for or against were items that one could discuss and debate. We have learned a lot from all sides and perspectives.

The land of concrete one inspired the cartoon.

Hey look we missed a green spot...more concrete please — **Hey look we missed a green spot…more concrete please**

Please don’t forget to sign and share our petition to save small open spaces in new developments in Philadelphia.
https://www.change.org/p/councilman-mark-squilla-save-old-2-st-tree

https://www.change.org/p/councilman-mark-squilla-save-old-2-st-tree

Bumble Bees in the Garden – It would be Cool to make Honey

Posted on July 23, 2016Leave a comment

While in the garden today, there was lots of Bee action. Today, I mainly saw Bumble Bees and a flew wasps/yellow jackets. I wish I saw some honey bees.

Here is a video:

I remember seeing this youtube video below on facebook awhile ago. Wouldn’t it be cool to set up a bee hive in Philly. I bet the veggies would love it. I wonder if it really works and if I could set one up in the City of Philadelphia?

Please don’t forget to sign and share our petition to save small open spaces in new developments in Philadelphia.
https://www.change.org/p/councilman-mark-squilla-save-old-2-st-tree

Gardens on Philadelphia Vacant Lots

Posted on July 23, 2016Leave a comment

With all this muckety muck going on about zoning and use permits and such, we did some research on vacant lots, licenses and gardens and we found this, under Philadelphia Code, Title 9, CHAPTER 9-3900. PROPERTY LICENSES AND OWNER ACCOUNTABILITY:

§ 9-3904. Vacant Lot License.
(1) Required.
(a) The owner of any lot on which no structure is built and no productive activity has been conducted with the owner’s permission for at least the past three (3) months shall obtain a Vacant Lot License.
(b) Exceptions. No license is required for the following:
(i) Vacant lots contiguous to and in common ownership with a vacant lot that has a current vacant lot license. This exception shall include building lots in common ownership within an approved subdivision, provided there is a current vacant lot license for the subdivision tract.
(ii) Vacant lots contiguous to or separated by a driveway from a building where there is common ownership of the lot and the building. This exception includes a contiguous lot owned and maintained by the abutting property owner as a side yard.
(iii) A lot that is continuously maintained as a garden.

The link to the code is here http://library.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Pennsylvania/philadelphia_pa/title9regulationofbusinessestradesandpro/chapter9-3900propertylicensesandowneracc?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:philadelphia_pa$anc=JD_9-3904

My favorite line is under exceptions paragraph (iii). So I guess Philadelphia is pro-garden after all. 🙂

We are not lawyers, but the code says what it says. I wonder if they know this?

The Tree of Heaven Nature’s Gardening Clock

Posted on July 14, 20161 Comment

The Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is admittedly a very tricky tree to maintain. We have been maintaining our for many years now. I have to say, it loves to create seedlings. The Tree has a long Philadelphia connection. From http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/ailalt/all.html

Sprouts from the first tree-of-heaven in North America, planted in Philadelphia’s Bartram Botanical Garden 1784, still existed at the turn of the 21st century

From http://www.ecolandscaping.org/05/invasive-plants/tree-of-heaven-an-exotic-invasive-plant-fact-sheet/

In Philadelphia, tree-of -heaven sparked the interest of amateur and professional horticulturists alike as a desirable and unique shade and ornamental tree for the gardens of larger home and farm landscapes

I have to admit it is a great shade tree and I can understand why people used it in cities where gardens were small and limited.

So why do I call it the gardening clock. If you get lazy at keeping your garden or yard cleaned and trimmed, this definitely reminds you of your gardening duties. You will start seeing little sprouts. I think this might be why people in Europe and America were so fascinated with the tree. They would see it in gardens in China that were well maintained. What they did not realize is that, it had to be done. So the tree became its own promoter because the gardens were so beautiful.

This tree does keep its owner on their toes, but it rewards with shade, filter light and a great wind block.