Recently in Tree Species for Planting Category
The planting was the third NeighborWoods planting of the year around the city, said Diane Losavio, executive director of Baton Rouge Green. Jared Liu, director of programs at the Washington, D.C.-based Alliance for Community Trees that oversees the NeighborWoods program, was on hand to help with planting and to discuss the connections between affordable housing and trees.
Liu said a landscape plan had been developed to place the right trees in the right places around the houses. A tree that provides ample shade planted close to a home can cool it down in warm weather, reducing energy costs, he said. "And shaded homes will sell faster," he added.
Losavio said volunteers planted a mixture of nuttall oaks, willow oaks, sweet olives, magnolias, red maples and crape myrtles around the houses on East Polk Street.
Residents are scheduled to move into the houses within the next few months, said Richard Murray, director of the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority. Four of the 14 houses will be rented to tenants, Murray said. The other houses will be put on the market to sell at prices ranging from $79,000 to $99,000.
Rose Netter, 62, who will be moving into a house on the corner of Polk and Kansas streets, came out to watch the planting Saturday. "I'm very emotional," Netter said. "I'm just so moved to see all the people that are helping." A first-time homeowner, Netter currently lives in her mother's house, down the street from the development. She will be moving into her new house with her daughter and granddaughter, she said.
Kristina McCray, 21, volunteered Saturday with other members of Delta Sigma Theta, a public service sorority at LSU. "I never knew how to plant trees before," she said as she spread mulch over the base of a red maple. "And it's helping the community." There were some veteran planters in the crowd, such as 17-year-old Malavika Balachandran.
Picture by Travis Spradling/The Advocate
Stephen Shurtz, left, a urban forestry and landscape manager with the
city-parish Department of Public Works, helps LSU Delta Sigma Theta
sorority members Courtney Boss, center, and Kasielynn Smith, right, as
they tug a tree out of its pot before placing it into a pre-dug hole.
The McKinley High School senior has helped out with many plantings since starting an environmental club at her school. Wearing green gloves, she and her sister, Devika Balachandran, 15, prepared the hole for the tree, breaking up clumps of clay with spades. "We didn't have to dig the holes today," Malavika said thankfully. "That takes a really long time."
Related Resources:
The Advocate
East Polk NeighborWoods Tree Planting
Baton Rouge Green
If you cannot plant a favorite tree with aggressive roots, such as a willow, because your sewer lines are old and could be damaged roots...what are your options? SOLUTION: Plant the willow tree in a large tub of earth -- 2-3 feet across and high enough for a good root ball. Get a book on bonsai and use the same basic technique to grow trees in pots or tubs. The care of bonsai trees entails pruning, wiring, fertilizing, repotting and watering properly, and of course -- proper seasonal timing!
- Junipers and Maples, are hardy enough for growing outside
- Ficus and Norfolk Island pine make good indoor bonsai or plants for moderate climates (like Southern California)
Some sources of basic bonsai information:
www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Bonsai-Tree
www.bonsaigardener.org/
www.bonsaiforbeginners.com
Landscaping with Trees for Homes
Trees are the skeleton of the landscape. They are the gentle giants of our habitat. Trees are miniature habitats themselves -- they provide food, shelter, community centers and even water for a wide range of wildlife -- from butterflies, birds and caterpillars to skinks, toads, earthworms...and every four footed wild critter you can think of.Trees have a secret life that is just as valuable to our habitat as their crowns. Their root systems move water and nutrients from the air to animals to other plants and then to the soil and water table. Their fragile, slow growing roots break up hardpan soil and create aerable soil that will grow more fragile plants.
Can you tell, we love trees! We value their hard work in our environment and in this website we will help you select, nurture and appreciate the trees in your own yard and in your commnity.
Landscaping with Trees for Offices and Business Campuses
Indoor trees and atriums provide wonderful respite during busy days. There's something about green to make us relax! But indoor trees also filter our air and refresh it with new oxygen.Trees work as hard as we do! We'll help you select and care for your little forest in your workspaces -- whether they be indoor trees or outdoor natural urban forests. And maybe you're luck enough to work in a location that has an extensive parklike campus. We'll help you understand trees and their role in urban heat islands, water conservation and property value so you can tell their story and help your coworkers appreciate these gentle giants of the natural worls.
Tree and Forestry Product Categories
- Selecting Trees for Your Space and Use
- Types of Trees by Size and Shape
- How Trees Save Energy
- How Trees Preserve Water and the Water Table
- The Economic Impact of Trees
- The Beauty and Appreciation of Trees
SOLUTION: Mature trees through add filtration, water retention, shade for hot urban centers, soil replenishment, habitat for wildlife, as well as windbreaks for homes, shade to reduce utility usage, and adds to the livability and value of a building -- whether a home or commercial building. Trees work hard for us!
