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TREE CONSERVATION PLAN for
PHELPS GROVE PLAN
Jody
Adams, director and Miles
Park, landscape architect,
for the for the Springfield
/ Greene County Park Board,
presented a tree
conservation/management plan
for the Phelps Grove Park
to the
Phelps Neighborhood
Association and the
University Heights
Association on November 17,
2009. The planting plan was
prepared, in conjunction
with the Missouri Department
of Conservation. Also,
presented was the concept of
adding urban garden plots.
The
tree planting plan presented
is designed to enhance the
perimeter plantings of the
park with more dense tree
plantings, creating a
picturesque streetscape, and
a shady place to walk.
Additional trees are planned
for the interior of the
park, reinforcing existing
tree groves. Also, the
plan provides groves of
flowering trees at the
southern entrances to create
dramatic gateway entrances
into the park. A tree
assessment was made of the
entire park. Each tree
was photographed and
catalogued with species,
size, and condition, (a
monumental task on its own)
in order to prepare the
plan. New trees were
selected to provide a
diverse urban forest,
protecting us from losing
all of the trees from a
single disease or pest.
Also, trees were selected
to provide canopy and beauty
to the park. The plan
calls for some trees to be
removed over time due to
poor health and the danger
they present to the
occupants of the park.
The association is examining
how we might interact in the
process of helping move
forward some of the planting
plan. If you want to become
involved in the park
planting please contact us
at
pna@phelpsneighborhood.org.
The 8’ x
8’ garden plots are being
considered to be placed near
the wading pool. The
plots would be rented to the
general public. Open
discussion was encouraged
about the merits and
concerns the gardens would
present in the park. The
major concerns presented by
the attendees were one of
aesthetics, security, and
general upkeep. Some
suggested locating them near
the xeriscape garden.
This might provide an
opportunity to make them
educational, utilizing the
skills of the master
gardeners overseeing the
xeriscape garden.
Jody was adamant about the
fact that the gardens would
not occur without a
consensus from the
neighborhoods adjoining the
park. The Park Board,
truly sees this as a
neighborhood park.
Currently, garden plots are
available at Rutledge-Wilson
Park.
Planting
and caring for the Phelps
Grove Park for the
generations to come long
after us is an important
legacy we hope to contribute.
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