1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
|
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<meta name="description" content="a collective" />
<link rel="canonical" href="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/" />
<title>A Little Forest Floor in a Raised Bed | Urban Ecology Collective</title>
<meta property="og:site_name" content="Urban Ecology Collective"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="A Little Forest Floor in a Raised Bed | Urban Ecology Collective"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="website"/>
<meta property="og:url" content="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="a collective"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="A Little Forest Floor in a Raised Bed"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="a collective"/>
<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Urban Ecology Collective" href="https://urbanecologycollective.org/atom.xml">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Source+Serif+4:opsz,wght@8..60,400;8..60,600&display=swap">
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Source+Serif+4:opsz,wght@8..60,400;8..60,600&display=swap" rel="stylesheet" media="print" onload="this.media='all'">
<noscript><link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Source+Serif+4:opsz,wght@8..60,400;8..60,600&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"></noscript>
<style>
html{font-family:"Source Serif 4",Georgia,serif;font-size:1rem;line-height:1.7;margin:auto;max-width:70ch;padding:1.5rem 1em 3em}
img{max-width:100%}img:not([src$=".svg"]),article>div,blockquote,pre{border-radius:.4rem}img[src$="#pixelate"]{image-rendering:pixelated}
h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6{font-family:"Source Serif 4",Georgia,serif;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.01em;margin:1.5rem 0 .75rem}
h1{font-size:1.75rem}h2{font-size:1.375rem}h3{font-size:1.125rem}
p{text-align:justify}p,ul,ol,article>footer,article>header{margin:0 0 1.5rem}
pre,blockquote{padding:1.5rem;margin:0 0 1.5rem}pre{overflow-x:auto;font-size:.875rem;line-height:1.5}pre code{background:0!important;padding:0;font-size:inherit}code{font-family:ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,Monaco,Consolas,monospace;font-size:.9em;padding:.15em .4em;border-radius:.25rem}blockquote>*:last-child{margin-bottom:0}
article>img,article>p>img,article>div{display:block;margin-bottom:1.5rem;width:100%}
.yt{aspect-ratio:16/9;width:100%;overflow:hidden}.yt iframe{width:100%;height:100%;border:0}
.s{font-size:.85rem}
.theme{display:inline-block;width:1.125rem;height:1.125rem;vertical-align:middle;margin-bottom:.15rem}.theme img,.theme svg{width:100%;height:100%}
html.light .theme img:first-child,html.light .theme svg:first-child,html.dark .theme img:last-child,html.dark .theme svg:last-child{display:none}
header strong{font-family:"Source Serif 4",Georgia,serif;font-weight:600;color:var(--accent)}.site-icon{width:2.25rem;height:2.25rem;vertical-align:middle;margin-right:1rem;color:var(--accent)}.header-brand{display:flex;align-items:center}.custom-icon{height:auto;max-height:3rem;width:auto;margin-right:1rem}body>footer{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:.5rem}
body>footer img,body>footer svg{width:1em;height:1em;vertical-align:-0.125em}
.tags{list-style:none;padding:0;margin:.75rem 0 0;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:.5rem 1rem}.tags li{display:inline}
nav{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:.5rem 1.5rem;margin-bottom:1.5rem}nav a{font-weight:500}nav img,nav svg{display:none}
.p{list-style:none;padding:0;margin:0 0 1.5rem}.p li{display:flex;gap:1.5rem;margin-bottom:.75rem;align-items:baseline}.p li:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.p time{opacity:.7;flex-shrink:0}
.profile-pic{width:8rem;height:8rem;border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0 auto 1.5rem}
.projects .project{margin-bottom:1.5rem}.project header{display:flex;align-items:baseline;gap:.75rem;margin-bottom:.75rem}.project header h2{margin:0;font-size:1.375rem}.project-emoji{font-size:1.5rem}.project-image{max-width:200px;aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover;float:right;margin:0 0 1.5rem 1.5rem;border-radius:.4rem}.project p{margin-bottom:.75rem}.project .tags{margin:0}
.lb{position:fixed;inset:0;background:#000d;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;z-index:999;cursor:pointer}.lb img{max-width:95vw;max-height:95vh}
@media(max-width:30em){header .desc{display:none}}
</style>
<style>
/* Light theme */
html.light{background:#FAF7F2;--tc:#FAF7F2;--accent:#B85450;--accent-hover:#7A3533;color:#1a1a1a}
html.light a{color:var(--accent);text-decoration:underline}
html.light a:visited{color:var(--accent)}
html.light a:hover{color:var(--accent-hover)}
html.light header>div>span>a{text-decoration:none}html.light header>div>span>a:hover{text-decoration:underline}
html.light p,html.light ul,html.light ol,html.light .desc{color:#3a3a3a}
html.light h1,html.light h2,html.light h3,html.light h4,html.light h5,html.light h6{color:#1a1a1a}
html.light strong{color:#1a1a1a}html.light header strong{color:var(--accent)}
html.light blockquote{border-left:3px solid var(--accent);color:#555}
html.light pre,html.light article>img,html.light article>p>img{background:#f0ebe3}
html.light code{background:#f0ebe3;color:#1a1a1a}
html.light hr{border-color:#e0d9ce}
/* Light syntax highlighting */
html.light .z-comment{color:#6a737d;font-style:italic}html.light .z-keyword{color:#d73a49}html.light .z-string{color:#22863a}html.light .z-number{color:#005cc5}html.light .z-function{color:#6f42c1}html.light .z-type{color:#005cc5}html.light .z-constant{color:#005cc5}html.light .z-variable{color:#e36209}html.light .z-attribute{color:#6f42c1}html.light .z-tag{color:#22863a}html.light .z-operator{color:#d73a49}html.light .z-punctuation{color:#24292e}html.light .z-builtin{color:#6f42c1}html.light .z-label{color:#005cc5}html.light .z-namespace{color:#e36209}
/* Dark theme */
html.dark{background:#141413;--tc:#141413;--accent:#E07A5F;--accent-hover:#F4A594;color:#e8e8e8}
html.dark a{color:var(--accent);text-decoration:underline}
html.dark a:visited{color:var(--accent)}
html.dark a:hover{color:var(--accent-hover)}
html.dark header>div>span>a{text-decoration:none}html.dark header>div>span>a:hover{text-decoration:underline}
html.dark p,html.dark ul,html.dark ol,html.dark .desc{color:#a0a0a0}
html.dark h1,html.dark h2,html.dark h3,html.dark h4,html.dark h5,html.dark h6{color:#fff}
html.dark strong{color:#fff}html.dark header strong{color:var(--accent)}
html.dark blockquote{border-left:3px solid var(--accent);color:#a0a0a0}
html.dark img[src$=".svg"],html.dark nav svg,html.dark .theme svg,html.dark footer svg{filter:invert(1)}
html.dark pre,html.dark article>img,html.dark article>p>img{background:#1e1e1d}
html.dark code{background:#1e1e1d;color:#e8e8e8}
html.dark hr{border-color:#2a2a29}
/* Dark syntax highlighting */
html.dark .z-comment{color:#8b949e;font-style:italic}html.dark .z-keyword{color:#ff7b72}html.dark .z-string{color:#a5d6ff}html.dark .z-number{color:#79c0ff}html.dark .z-function{color:#d2a8ff}html.dark .z-type{color:#79c0ff}html.dark .z-constant{color:#79c0ff}html.dark .z-variable{color:#ffa657}html.dark .z-attribute{color:#d2a8ff}html.dark .z-tag{color:#7ee787}html.dark .z-operator{color:#ff7b72}html.dark .z-punctuation{color:#c9d1d9}html.dark .z-builtin{color:#d2a8ff}html.dark .z-label{color:#79c0ff}html.dark .z-namespace{color:#ffa657}
/* Shared styles */
a.active{color:var(--accent)}
a:focus-visible{outline:2px solid currentColor;outline-offset:2px;border-radius:2px}
hr{border:0;border-top:1px solid;clear:both;margin:1.5rem 0}
blockquote{border-left:3px solid var(--accent);padding-left:1.25rem;font-style:italic}
.skip-link{position:absolute;top:-100%;left:0;padding:.5rem 1rem;background:var(--accent);color:#fff;z-index:1000}.skip-link:focus{top:0}
</style>
<meta name="theme-color" id="tc"><script>(function(){var m=matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme:dark)'),t=localStorage.theme||(m.matches?'dark':'light'),h=document.documentElement,c=document.getElementById('tc');h.className=t;function u(){c.content=getComputedStyle(h).getPropertyValue('--tc')}u();window.T=function(){t=t==='dark'?'light':'dark';localStorage.theme=t;h.className=t;u()}})()</script>
</head>
<body>
<a href="#main" class="skip-link">Skip to content</a>
<header>
<div style="display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center">
<span class="header-brand"><a href="https://urbanecologycollective.org"><strong>Urban Ecology Collective</strong></a></span>
<a href="#" onclick="T();return false" class="theme" aria-label="Toggle theme" title="Toggle theme"><img src="/icons/light.svg" alt="Light mode"><img src="/icons/asleep.svg" alt="Dark mode"></a>
</div>
<hr>
<nav>
<a href="https://urbanecologycollective.org/">home</a>
<a href="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/" class="active">blog</a>
<a href="https://urbanecologycollective.org/wiki/">wiki</a>
</nav>
</header>
<hr>
<main id="main">
<h1>A Little Forest Floor in a Raised Bed</h1>
<p>New York is home to over 550 community gardens, each with their own unique
history, land, and culture. Some focus on food production, some host
art and theatrical events, some serve as a hub for the neighborhood, and still
others create ecologically resilient wildlife habitat. In one
sense, these are all different aspects of the same goal: stewarding a healthy
ecosystem for the local multi-species community.</p>
<p>Communities are shaped by their particular environment. During the New York
financial crisis of the 1970s, property owners in the Lower East Side burned
down and abandoned their apartment buildings, leaving behind a pile of rubble
and not much else. Local residents cleaned up the lot, shovel by shovel, and
created spaces to grow food and for their children to play. Other community
gardens were started by an organization such as the New York Restoration
Project, which cleaned up an illegal dumping ground along Harlem River to
create Swindler Cove. Swindler Cove now contains restored wetlands, native
plantings, and a children’s garden.</p>
<p>Our work as community gardeners is informed by both the history of the land and
the history of the people in the neighborhood. And as both are apt to change
over time, we must be flexible and adapt to a changing environment.</p>
<p>Twenty years ago, Green Oasis Community Garden received ample sunlight, and the
raised beds were replete with tomatoes, basil, and strawberries. At the same
time, the trees that were planted when the garden was founded in 1981 were
starting to mature and grow larger. These days, Green Oasis has a high level of
canopy coverage casting shade throughout the garden, making it impractical
to grow fruits and vegetables.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/shade.jpg" alt="A shady garden" /></p>
<p>The changes at Green Oasis resemble the natural process of ecological succession.
In the Eastern Temperate Forests ecoregion of North America, land left to its
own devices will be first occupied by grasses, herbs, and shrubs. At this
point, shade-intolerant evergreens such as eastern white pine start to grow larger
and shade out the previously growing herbs, and at the same time, create
habitat for shade-tolerant plants such as Pennsylvania sedge. Finally,
shade-tolerant hardwoods such as white oak and shagbark hickory grow and shade
out the pine trees. Perhaps later, a wildfire or human activity will reset the
cycle back to the beginning.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/succession.png" alt="Ecological succession" />
<em>University of Chicago newsroom</em></p>
<p>Ecological communities, like human communities, are always changing and
adapting to the changing environment. It is true that humans have the ability
to change the local environment, and do so in an ecologically sound manner. For
example, in <em>The Mushroom at the End of the World</em>, Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing
describes how matsutake (lit. <em>pine mushroom</em>) farmers in Japan use the ancient
coppicing technique to indefinitely maintain a pine forest where matsutakes
grow well. At the same time, we must acknowledge that each kind of environment has
its own advantages and provides habitat to different kinds of flora and fauna
(including humans).</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/scoliid.jpg" alt="A scoliid wasp" /></p>
<p>While a forest ecosystem is not suited to growing traditional community
gardening crops, they are perfect for growing
mushrooms, leafy greens, and pawpaws. And remember that food production is only
one aspect of a community garden. A shady garden reduces the urban heat island
effect, providing humans a (free) respite from increasing temperatures. A dense
forest of trees filters air pollution and reduces flooding by absorbing
stormwater. Of course, a forest ecosystem is home to countless kinds of
ferns, sedges, spring ephemerals, asters & goldenrods, insects, birds and mammals.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/art.jpeg" alt="An art show at Green Oasis" /></p>
<p>As community gardeners, our first instinct may be to prune
large tree branches and bring more sunlight to our raised beds. But an
alternate path exists. What if we embraced the natural process of ecological
succession, accepting change and the passage of time? We can fondly remember
the times when we could readily grow vegetables and fruits, and also look
towards the exciting opportunities now available to us in a forest ecosystem.
And there are always other gardens that are suitable for larger-scale food
production: for example, <a rel="external" href="https://www.grownyc.org/gardens/bk/mccarren-park">McCarren Demo
Garden</a> in Brooklyn, which
donates their produce to local community fridges.</p>
<p>In an ecosystem, the environment (climate, precipitation, sunlight, soil type)
shapes the interactions between the fauna and the flora. Part of being a member
of an ecological community is learning to work <em>with</em> the environment rather than
against it. If we reduce our dependence on constant prunings, regular
watering, laborious weeding, and expensive fertilizers, we can create a more reliable, sustainable, and resilient garden.</p>
<h2 id="raised-beds-at-green-oasis">Raised beds at Green Oasis</h2>
<p>Green Oasis is a large community garden, almost half an acre. Most of the
garden’s plantable areas are communally stewarded grounds full of grasses,
herbs, shrubs, and trees. In addition, we have around 20 raised beds. Most are
allocated to individual garden members; one is used as a community medicinal
herb garden. Some garden members grow shade-tolerant produce such as kale,
chili peppers, and shiso, while others grow an assortment of wildflowers.</p>
<p>Raised beds can be thought of as a opportunity for gardeners to exhibit an
artistic design suited to their unique sense of aesthetics. One
gardener’s raised bed is a microcosm of the ecosystem at Marine Park in
Brooklyn, containing the plants local to that area, as well as found objects
such as broken tiles and lamps. Another gardener plants her favorite ornamental
flowers and includes bee baths made out of a branch and artfully arranged
bottlecaps.</p>
<h2 id="soft-landings">Soft landings</h2>
<p>As a woodland garden, Green Oasis is home to many trees, both
native and introduced. Native trees specifically are hosts to an incredible
variety of insects, many of which are adapted specifically to only eat the
leaves of one type of tree. After feeding on the tree foliage, caterpillars
travel to the leaf litter below the host tree in order to pupate and
overwinter. If those trees are underplanted with mowed turfgrass, caterpillars
will lack the habitat to complete their lifecycle. As described by Heather
Holm, <a rel="external" href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/7942b55334b349098718a834b6c0503e">soft landings</a>
are safe, undisturbed plantings of native grasses, ferns, and forbs under host
trees. Soft landings provide food and shelter, allowing butterflies, moths, and many
other insects to pupate and survive the winter.</p>
<p>At Green Oasis, we have two large littleleaf linden (American basswood) trees,
which are hosts to over 150 species of caterpillars. Currently, these lindens
are on beds of vinca, an invasive vine. We have the opportunity to do much
better. We wanted to create a beautiful, resilient, and low-maintenance forest
floor that would allow our butterflies and moths to thrive in every stage of
their lifecycle.</p>
<p>However, as beginner gardeners, we weren’t sure what kinds of native plants
would work best in our garden. While online resources list the preferred light
exposure and moisture requirements for each plant, growth patterns depend
greatly on the specific location. What sedges grow best in dappled morning
light? Can a large fern be underplanted with Pennsylvania sedge? What selection
of flowers will ensure continuous blooms throughout the year in our particular
climate? To answer these questions, we decided to make an experiment: a little
forest floor in a raised bed. It’s important to remember that a raised bed is
not the same as the the ground in the garden; in particular, the soil is
completely different. Still, we believe this exercise will be useful, and the
bed will be ecologically beneficial in its own right.</p>
<h2 id="a-little-forest-floor">A little forest floor</h2>
<p>Our goal for our raised bed was to create a planting that is reminiscent of a
typical New York mature forest floor. We were interested in creating visual
interest through texture and varying heights, rather than focusing on flowers
and color (as is typical of the English gardening tradition). Our design
emphasizes sedges and grasses, which are sometimes considered “uninteresting”
or “filler” plants. Instead of choosing “the most beautiful” plants at the
nursery, we started with the axiom that all plants are inherently beautiful,
and asked ourselves how we could understand each plant’s individual beauty and
how to create an composition that remains ecologically and aesthetically
beautiful throughout the year.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/carexsprengelii.jpg" alt="Carex sprengelii" />
<em>Mt. Cuba Center</em></p>
<p>While flowers do provide pollen and nectar, insects also need <em>habitat</em>. Sedges
and grasses create dense mats where pollinators and other insects can shelter
and over-winter, while also protecting against the introduction invasive species. They are also crucial in reducing soil erosion and
absorbing stormwater.</p>
<p>In a previous blogpost, we wrote about the <a href="/blog/native-plant-garden/">design process for our first native plant garden</a>, which
was largely inspired by reading <em>Planting in a Post-Wild World</em> by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West.
It focuses on the idea of designed plant communities and a relational approach to
garden design, which we’ll refer to below. Briefly, we focus on how the different plants relate to each other, both aesthetically and ecologically. For example, the idea of planting a soft landing under a native tree, or surrounding tall flowers with a diversity of groundcover plants.</p>
<h2 id="plant-selection">Plant selection</h2>
<p>We used the <a rel="external" href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/pagefiles/203/NYC-Parks-Native-Species-Planting-Guide-4th-Edition__679cf96177b6b.pdf">New York City Native Planting Guide</a> to understand the different
kinds of upland forest ecosystems in New York (such as mixed oak-hickory forest
and rich mesophytic forest), and the plants that are typical to those
ecosystems. It also offers excellent guidance on planting in altered urban lots
such as most community gardens.</p>
<p>From the catalogs at our local native plant nurseries, we filtered for the
shade-tolerant and dry-to-medium moisture, drought-tolerant offerings in order
to decide what to plant.</p>
<h3 id="structural-layer">Structural layer</h3>
<p>The structural layer consists of long-lived plants
providing year-long structure and clarity of form. We chose bottlebrush grass (<em>Elymus hystrix</em>),
slender woodoats (<em>Chasmanthium laxum</em>), eastern woodland sedge (<em>Carex blanda</em>), and interrupted fern (<em>Osmunda claytonia</em>).</p>
<p>Bottlebrush grass is a cool-season grass (meaning that it grows actively in the
spring and fall), features spectacular seedheads and is the host for the
northern pearly eye butterfly.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/bottlebrush.jpg" alt="Bottlebrush" />
<em>mowildflowers.net</em></p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/pearlyeye.jpg" alt="Pearly eye" />
<em>Illinois Department of Natural Resources</em></p>
<p>Slender woodoats is a warm-season grass, growing actively in the summer, and
features staccato, delicate seedheads, and is the host for various skipper
butterflies. Both grasses’ seeds are an important food source for birds.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/slenderwoodoats.jpg" alt="Slender woodoats" />
<em>Gowanus Canal Conservancy</em></p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/cloudedskipper.jpg" alt="Clouded skipper" />
<em>Gary L. Spicer</em></p>
<p>Eastern woodland sedge is a large, clumping evergreen sedge, resilient to a wide variety of environmental conditions.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/carexblanda.jpg" alt="Carex blanda" />
<em>Mt. Cuba Center</em></p>
<p>Finally, interrupted fern is a large fern with prominent fiddleheads and a unique texture.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/interruptedfern.jpg" alt="Interrupted fern" />
<em>James St. John</em></p>
<h3 id="seasonal-theme-layer">Seasonal theme layer</h3>
<p>While flowers were not the main visual focus of our design, they are still important aesthetically as well as for pollinators.
We were interested in flowers that are not usually considered “ornamental,” but provided outsized benefit to insects.
We chose spiderwort (<em>Tradescantia virginiana</em>), slender mountainmint (<em>Pycnanthemum tenuifolium</em>), late figwort (<em>Scrophularia marilandica</em>), and white wood aster (<em>Eurybia divaricata</em>), a selection that ensures blooms throughout the year.</p>
<p>Spiderwort produces purple flowers in spring. They only bloom for one day, but the plant has so many buds the blooms are continuous. They provide abundant nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds, as well as pollen for bumblebees, little carpenter bees, and sweat bees. The leaves of spiderwort are remarkably grass-like, adding to the overall visual effect of the planting.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/spiderwort.webp" alt="Spiderwort" />
<em>theplantnative.com</em></p>
<p>Slender mountainmint produces small but showy white flowers in the summer and is a veritable magnet for bees and butterflies. It features a strong mint aroma.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/slendermountainmint.jpg" alt="Slender mountainmint" />
<em>nativeplantsasheville.com</em></p>
<p>Late figwort produces small red cup-shaped flowers in the summer that are full of nectar for leaf-cutter bees, sweat bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and ruby-throated hummingbirds.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/latefigwort.jpg" alt="Late figwort" />
<em>NC State Extension</em></p>
<p>Finally, white wood aster produces white daisy-like flowers in the fall, providing pollen and nectar to insects at a time when little food is otherwise available. The seedheads are also an important food source for birds through the winter.</p>
<p>In a deciduous forest, the summer is characterized by intense shade, making it so few flowers can grow. Therefore, plants that bloom in the early spring (we will discuss spring ephemerals below) and fall, such as asters and goldenrods, are critical components of the ecosystem. Forest insects have co-evolved with the flowers and wake up from hibernation at the same time their preferred flowers are in bloom.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/whitewoodaster.jpg" alt="White wood aster" />
<em>Wild Seed Project</em></p>
<h3 id="groundcover-layer">Groundcover layer</h3>
<p>The groundcover layer consists of competitive and clonal-spreading plants that provide soil fertility and structure, erosion control, stormwater capture, invasive species suppression, biodiversity, pollutant uptake, moisture retention, and wildlife habitat. We chose a variety of sedges and ferns for this layer: field oval sedge (<em>Carex molesta</em>), long-beaked sedge (<em>Carex sprengelii</em>), Pennsylvania sedge (<em>Carex pensylvanica</em>), low woodland sedge (<em>Carex socialis</em>), eastern narrow-leaved sedge (<em>Carex amphibola</em>), rosy sedge (<em>Carex rosea</em>), Christmas fern (<em>Polystichum acrostichoides</em>), and broad beech fern (<em>Phegopteris hexagonoptera</em>). The large number of species is to maximize the biodiversity, but also act as an experiment to see which ones do well and which do poorly. Below, broad beech fern and Pennsylvania sedge are pictured.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/broadbeechfern.jpg" alt="Broad beech fern" />
<em>Katja Schulz</em></p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/carexpensylvanica.jpg" alt="Carex pensylvanica" />
<em>Mt. Cuba Center</em></p>
<h3 id="dynamic-filler-layer">Dynamic filler layer</h3>
<p>The dynamic filler layer consists of short-lived but fast-growing and readily self-seeding plants that fill in gaps left by disturbances or plant deaths before invasive species take over. We chose Jacob’s ladder (<em>Polemonium reptans</em>), which has blue flowers in spring that are a favorite of many native bee species.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/jacobsladder.jpg" alt="Jacob’s ladder" />
<em>Ryan Kaldari</em></p>
<h3 id="spring-ephemeral-layer">Spring ephemeral layer</h3>
<p>In forests, spring ephemerals flowers bloom before trees leaf out in the spring and then die back completely when summer starts and the garden becomes shady, reappearing the next year. They are critical food sources for many kinds of insects, and are unfortunately in danger due to the proliferation of invasive species in New York. For this layer, we chose bloodroot (<em>Sanguinaria canadensis</em>), trout lily (<em>Erythronium americanum</em>), Dutchman’s breeches (<em>Dicentra cucullaria</em>), spring beauty (<em>Claytonia virginica</em>), and mayapple (<em>Podophyllum peltatum</em>). Below, Dutchman’s breeches and mayapple are pictured.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/dutchmansbreeches.jpg" alt="Dutchman’s breeches" />
<em>NYC Parks</em></p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/mayapple.jpg" alt="Mayapple" />
<em>Jay Sturner</em></p>
<p>Bloodroot is a pollen source for early-season native insects such as sweat bees, cuckoo bees, small carpenter bees, bee flies, mining bees, and beetles. It is used as a red natural dye by Native American artists.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/bloodroot.jpg" alt="Bloodroot" />
<em>NYC Parks</em></p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/bloodrootdye.jpg" alt="Bloodroot dye" />
<em>ithacawaldorf.blogspot.com</em></p>
<h3 id="on-plant-selection">On plant selection</h3>
<p>Although we tried to choose plants with properties suitable for the different
layers as described by Rainer and West, plants do not fit so neatly into
human-created categories. We were not always able to find a plant that
satisfied all of the properties, both because of the small selection available
to non-professional gardeners, and also because plants exist on a spectrum in
terms of longevity, aggressiveness, structure, and so on, all of which are
impacted by the particular local conditions.</p>
<p>For example, some native plants are labeled as “aggressive.” This can be good
in the sense that they form a groundcover that suppress invasive species, or
bad because they outcompete all the other native plants in the area. It is hard
to know a priori what will be <em>too</em> aggressive (or perhaps not aggressive
enough). Similarly, online resources disagree on whether interrupted fern is
long-lived, making it unclear whether we should use it in the structural layer.
In the end, the particular site conditions have an enormous influence and it is
impossible to predict the exact behavior of plants beforehand. We expect that
not everything will go according to plan and we will need to make changes in
the future.</p>
<h2 id="plant-layout">Plant layout</h2>
<p>The raised bed is 8 feet by 3.5 feet, for a total of 28 square feet. We planted in staggered rows to maximize the planting space (and minimize bare soil), as shown below. This diagram uses the diameter of the circle to represent a plant’s projected maximum breadth, which is useful when planning out the layout. Most are given a 1’ diameter circle. Approximate expected heights are listed as well. Pennsylvania sedge underplants the large interrupted fern as well as in tight spots.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/forestfloor.png" alt="Forest floor diagram" /></p>
<p>The structural plants are placed first at prominent locations. Drifts of seasonal theme plants are interspersed throughout, then groundcover and dynamic filler plants are used to fill in all the gaps. Because they don’t directly compete with other plants, spring ephemerals are scattered throughout (we planted 2 of each). We tended to place taller plants on the north side so as not to shade out shorter plants, but as all the plants are shade-tolerant anyway, this was not a primary consideration.</p>
<h2 id="plant-acquisition">Plant acquisition</h2>
<p>We acquired plants from the city-run <a rel="external" href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/natural-resources/pecan">PECAN</a> nursery, the <a rel="external" href="https://nbkparks.org/">North Brooklyn Parks Alliance</a> native plant giveaway, <a rel="external" href="https://plantbuyingcollective.com/">Plant Buying Collective</a>, <a rel="external" href="https://gowanuscanalconservancy.org/nursery/">Lowlands Nursery</a>, and the <a rel="external" href="https://www.kingslandwildflowers.com/">Kingsland Wildflowers</a> nursery.</p>
<p>In general, forest ecosystem natives are hard to come by even at native plant
nurseries, especially for hard-to-grow species like sedges, ferns, and spring
ephemerals. We were grateful to find nurseries that recognized the important
ecological value of these plants.</p>
<p>The NYC Parks Plant Ecology Center and Nursery (PECAN) in Staten Island has a
wide selection of native plants, including various sedges and ferns. They only
work with city-affiliated organizations, and the plants they grow for
ecological restoration projects are also suitable for community gardens. PECAN
ethically sources all of their seed from within 100 miles of New York. Even
within a particular species of plant, genetic material varies considerably, and
plants that are sourced locally are most well adapted to local insects. In
general, it is extremely difficult to find nurseries that even mention the
ecotype of their offerings, so PECAN is an invaluable resource in this regard.
Additionally, PECAN is quite affordable, selling most plugs for $2.50, whereas
other nurseries might charge up to $10.</p>
<p>Ordering from PECAN is not straightforward; there is no readily accessible
online catalog. First, email the address on the PECAN website, and they will
send back an order intake form where you can input your project details. They
will send you a spreadsheet with the current inventory and you can make
selections from there. Be quick, because inventory changes rapidly. Finally,
you can arrange a pickup time at the nursery. PECAN does not deliver, and it is
inconvenient to get to the nursery by public transit. We took the ferry from
Battery Park to Staten Island, and then the S62 bus to Victory Blvd/Baron
Blvd. We are planning to place a much larger order next year, and will likely
rent a car or truck for transport.</p>
<p>This year, the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance ran a native plant giveaway at
Under the K Bridge Park in September and October, giving away over 10,000
plants for free (we found out on the <a rel="external" href="https://www.nycpollinators.org/">NYC Pollinator Working
Group</a> mailing list). Their selection was
excellent, covering a wide range of site conditions and including grasses and
rarer plants such as late figwort. The nursery operator was incredibly kind and
helpful when we visited. If they repeat the giveaway next year, be sure to
check it out.</p>
<p>We purchased spring ephemerals online from Plant Buying Collective. We
placed the order in September and the plants were delivered in November
as bare roots, rhizomes, or corms. We were unable to find a local source for spring
ephemerals, but purchasing from Plant Buying Collective was straightforward and
affordable.</p>
<p>We also got a few plants at Lowlands Nursery in Gowanus as well as the nursery
at Kingsland Wildflowers in Greenpoint. Both have excellent volunteer programs
for those who are interested in learning some nursery skills.</p>
<h2 id="site-preparation">Site preparation</h2>
<p>This raised bed didn’t need much preparation. The soil level was topped off
with soil from a local garden store. Before planting, we briefly watered the
soil so it could settle a bit.</p>
<h2 id="site-installation">Site installation</h2>
<p>Installation, like layout, occurs by layer. We first planted the structural
layer, then the seasonal theme layer, filled in any gaps with the groundcover and
dynamic filler layers, and finally, interspersed the spring ephemerals. The
placement of the structural layer is most critical; after that, it is better to
place the other plants more freely, using the layout as an approximate guide
rather than an exact specification. We planted in late September. Fall planting is
ideal for native plants because it reduces the need for watering and allows the
plants to settle in over the winter before starting to grow next spring.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/littleforestfloor.jpg" alt="Little forest floor" /></p>
<h2 id="post-installation">Post-installation</h2>
<p>We watered the plants thoroughly after the inital installation, and then kept
watering for a few weeks. The weather got cold quite quickly, so we have paused
watering until the spring. We expect to need to water occasionally for the
first year or so, and then the plants should be mature enough to not need
watering unless in extreme drought conditions. One issue we had was the
disappearance of a white wood aster, presumably due to a squirrel or rat. We
have found that they often like to dig up newly planted young plants, though
they don’t usually eat them or carry them away. In the future, it could make
sense to encircle young plants with hardware cloth for a few weeks while they
get established.</p>
<h2 id="a-sign-of-the-times">A sign of the times</h2>
<p>One of my favorite parts of living in New York is getting to visit other
community gardens and learning from their efforts. Hand painted signs are a
common sight, identifying different areas of the garden, the plantings in
raised beds, instructions for composting, and more. These signs are important
as a marker of human activity and creative expression.</p>
<p>For our raised bed, we made a sign by sanding and oiling a piece of scrap wood,
then painting with a brush and calligraphy ink. Beneath the sign is an NFC tag
that links to this blog post. We hope that visitors appreciate the ecological
and artistic intent of our little forest floor in a raised bed.</p>
<p><img src="https://urbanecologycollective.org/blog/little-forest-floor/littleforestfloorsign.jpg" alt="Little forest floor sign" /></p>
</main>
<hr>
<footer class="s">
<span>Feeds: <a href="https://urbanecologycollective.org/atom.xml">Atom</a> · <a href="https://urbanecologycollective.org/rss.xml">RSS</a></span>
</footer>
<script>document.querySelectorAll('article img[srcset]').forEach(i=>{if(i.closest('a'))return;i.style.cursor='pointer';i.onclick=()=>{let d=document.createElement('div'),s=i.srcset.split(',').pop().trim().split(' ')[0];d.className='lb';d.innerHTML='<img src="'+s+'">';document.body.style.overflow='hidden';d.onclick=()=>{d.remove();document.body.style.overflow=''};document.body.appendChild(d)}})</script>
</body>
</html>
|
