5/9/2013 ENVIRONMENTAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE Minutes

Home Browse Search

Plan for the Pollinator Gardens at the Community Garden Site Environmental Landscape Consultants LLC between the outlined gardens and the community garden plots to allow access on all sides—including access by tractors for mowing. This will also allow visitors, and volunteers who will help maintain the gardens, to walk on all sides. The east side garden still had standing water at the time of the site assessment. The north side garden is more upland and the soils were moist but not wet. We will use the possibility of less drainage on the east side garden to include plants that have a greater preference for moist soils. Both sites are in full sun. There is access to water for irrigation on this site, which also allows for more flexibility in plant choices. During that site assessment ELC also took soil core samples from both garden sites. Both gardens have about four to six inches of a sandy loam topsoil over a compacted subsoil. Ms. Laurent indicated that there may be buried debris relatively close to the surface. For the north side garden the compacted soils were only about three inches below grade. We sent separate soils samples from each garden to the UMass Soil Testing Lab in Amherst. The test results show (soil test results are available by request): • The north side garden has a pH of 5.0 with moderate levels of organic matter. The macronutrient levels are generally low. A natural-organic plant biostimulant fertilizer will be added to the planting holes. For some plants, especially non-native garden plants, the addition of limestone and compost is recommended. • The east side garden has a pH of 5.8, which is better adapted to the range of plants we propose for this garden. The organic matter is slightly lower in this soil. Nutrient levels, except for phosphorus, are slightly higher in the soils here. No lime is recommended for the plants we have chosen, but our organic plant fertilizer and some compost would still be recommended. Design of the Community Garden Demonstration Gardens: The goals of this Town of Mashpee - AmeriCorps conservation restoration project include: • Develop and plant pollinator/wildlife gardens in three public places to provide examples of ecological landscape plantings for homeowners and landowners. • Promote horticulture that enhances the population of native pollinator species, which have become more important for agriculture and food production as the non-native honeybees are declining in population. • Help to protect and enhance our natural resources by reducing lawn areas and promoting natural, wildlife-friendly alternatives. • Promote landscapes that provide habitat value for all wildlife species, while also adding beauty and interest to our landscapes year-round. • Have a successful week-long volunteer and AmeriCorps event that accomplishes a significant amount of work to enhance the Town of Mashpee and conservation lands owned by the Town May 3,2013 Page 3