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I have a ton of ideas to improve the Syracuse area. One of them is planting evergreen Rhododendrons along the major highways in the Syracuse area.
In the past, I was hesitate to reveal any of my ideas since I thought that either Syracuse leadership would ignore these ideas or screw them up as they have done with so many other well-intended projects before. Also I didn't want another city to steal my ideas. Now that a depression is knocking on our door, the chances of any city taking action on my ideas are less and less. That's why I feel it's finally OK to unveil a few of my ideas that were intended to change and improve Syracuse's image.
One major problem with Rhododendrons is the soil they need in order to thrive. Native Syracuse area soil would kill many Rhododendrons. That's why if local leadership ever pursued my idea to plant Rhododendrons on both sides of major highways in the Syracuse area, they also need a plan to replace the soil where the Rhododendrons are planted with a good organic composted soil with good drainage.
Another problem with planting broadleaf evergreens near roadways in the Syracuse area is snow. When those massive snowplows clear the highway, the force of the snow hitting a Rhododendron could do some serious damage to the plant. This means Rhododendrons should only be planted in stretches of highway where there is room to plant a Rhododendron at least 15 to 20 feet or more away from the side of the road.
If this was ever done, the base of the Rhododendron would need a thick layer of mulch at least 2 or 3 feet from the base of the plant. Not only would the mulch help insulate, and keep moisture in the soil, but it would keep out weeds. If weeds grew under or near the Rhododendrons it would basically cancel out the whole point of this project....making the Syracuse area more attractive and inviting.
I seriously doubt the Syracuse area could ever pull this off because planting a Rhododendron next to major highways would take some upkeep. As we all know by looking at the green spaces in the area, upkeep or clearing away brush and overgrowth is not a priority here.
Growing up here, I used to think it was normal to see weeds growing along ever chain link fence and overgrown brush next to every roadway. That was until I visited other parts of the US and Canada and saw that most places keep their city very tidy and brush free.
So there you go, one of my ideas revealed to the world.
I don't know about Rhododendrons for the reasons you mentioned, but Syracuse does have a college of landscape architecture, this sounds like a good student project. (Extra points to whomever names this institution. )
NY is far ahead of PA in terms of highway beautification. Even newer highways in PA are just plain uglier than they have to be due to institutional non-consideration of aesthetics. NYS DOT has brought in landscape architects at a higher institutional level, and it shows.
I don't know about Rhododendrons for the reasons you mentioned, but Syracuse does have a college of landscape architecture, this sounds like a good student project. (Extra points to whomever names this institution. )
NY is far ahead of PA in terms of highway beautification. Even newer highways in PA are just plain uglier than they have to be due to institutional non-consideration of aesthetics. NYS DOT has brought in landscape architects at a higher institutional level, and it shows.
Well, it's a college with a department of Landscape Architecture, not a college of it... SUNY-ESF :-) (caveat: I work there...)
I think that we could probably come up with something for beautification that requires less maintenance than that. Realistically, though, you probably need something relatively native to the area and that can deal with high salt levels - since, of course, it'll get hit with the road salt runoff more'n likely.
Of course, part of what you're going to run into is you can't really do this in large swaths of 81 in Syracuse, since a lot of it runs right up against its surroundings without much of a grassy berth at all.
I think you missed the whole point of using Rhododendrons as opposed to a native plant. Rhododendrons are broadleaf evergreens hardy in zone 5 and can grow over 10 feet tall.
Which means during the late fall, winter and early spring when everything else is brown and gray, the green foliage on the Rhododendrons would cheer locals and visitors up as they enter Onondaga County. An added plus is that they flower in the spring.
Pines, spruce and other needle type evergreens aren't as attractive as broadleaf evergreens. The main reason why Seattle and Portland aren't as depressing as Pittsburgh during the winter is due to the abundant planting of broadleaf evergreens all over the Pacific Northwest. (the Northwest and Pittsburgh have similar gloomy, rainy, damp, cold winters)
There really isn't a point or is it worth the effort to plant anything that isn't a broadleaf evergreen along the Syracuse area highways IMO.
If you know of a broadleaf evergreen which grows over 10 feet that is native to the Syracuse area please let me know. And please no American Holly, most native hollies hardy in zone 5 are ugly IMO.
I think you missed the whole point of using Rhododendrons as opposed to a native plant. Rhododendrons are broadleaf evergreens hardy in zone 5 and can grow over 10 feet tall.
Which means during the late fall, winter and early spring when everything else is brown and gray, the green foliage on the Rhododendrons would cheer locals and visitors up as they enter Onondaga County. An added plus is that they flower in the spring.
Pines, spruce and other needle type evergreens aren't as attractive as broadleaf evergreens. The main reason why Seattle and Portland aren't as depressing as Pittsburgh during the winter is due to the abundant planting of broadleaf evergreens all over the Pacific Northwest. (the Northwest and Pittsburgh have similar gloomy, rainy, damp, cold winters)
There really isn't a point or is it worth the effort to plant anything that isn't a broadleaf evergreen along the Syracuse area highways IMO.
If you know of a broadleaf evergreen which grows over 10 feet that is native to the Syracuse area please let me know. And please no American Holly, most native hollies hardy in zone 5 are ugly IMO.
Hrmm. I'd go lilacs, which grow fine here, but they only bloom for a month and change.
I was actually thinking, for a large part of it, well landscaped lower plants might create the effect you're going for while requiring less maintenance. Rochester has a smaller-scale example of this along one of the x90s.
But honestly, just a concerted effort to clean up the trash along the highways would be a good start.
Planting lilacs would do little to make the Syracuse area less depressing during the winter months....
Like I said:
-only broadleaf evergreens are worth the effort, time and money it would cost
-only broadleaf evergreens will change Syracuse's image
-only broadleaf evergreens will brand Syracuse and leave a good first impression
Something that requires so much maintenance isn't appealing to me. And honestly, seeing broadleaf bushes along the highway isn't going to cheer up a gray winter landscape... I'd probably laugh and wonder "who planted these bushes next to the road? The DOT must have gotten them for a good price." Other parts of the country have their own "thing"- I don't see how copying them is going to reflect well on us. Why can't Syracuse do what's right for ITSELF, rather than what's right for other cities? (For a change.) Maybe what's right for us *is* a stretch of rhodies... maybe it's not.
What about flowering groundcover that spreads itself? That way, there'd be much less initial expense, NO upkeep, it would spread into any available spot, and look like a flowering mist along the roadside. Phlox?
What about flowering groundcover that spreads itself? That way, there'd be much less initial expense, NO upkeep, it would spread into any available spot, and look like a flowering mist along the roadside. Phlox?
-You won't be able to see groundcovers during the winter under the snow.
-Phlox create new stalks each year, the old stalks turn brown. You'd need to mow down the old stalks each spring or else you'd have a major eyesore.
-Phlox foliage can look ugly because it is so mildew prone.
I've thought of other plants we could use along highways and main roads in the area, but since they are not native either, they probably wouldn't go over well in Syracuse....
Personally, I'm not really looking for anywhere to have visible plants (besides trees) in the winter... I wouldn't notice. I mean, I'd NOTICE... but it wouldn't be the "wow-that's really neat!" kind. (Though I LOVE rhodies! I can tell how warmly I need to dress by their leaves. LOL)
Cymbalaria muralis is not bad for a groundcover! It's evergreen, that's good....
How about this for a compromise? Exotic looking, NATIVE deciduous trees with an evergreen groundcover lining the highways. Magnolia tripetala
Magnolia tripetala with a Cymbalaria muralis groundcover.
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