Objective: In this exercise we want to determine what your garden bed goes through at any given time so that we can better select plants. ​

For example: Are there a lot of dogs that use the bathroom in your garden? If the answer is yes then that could be discussed as a weakness that garden bed has. The garden beds can be viewed from the street. This can be discussed as a strength if you are interested in people having the ability to see the garden bed as they walk by.

 



STRENGTHS

• Many great park users who act as a positive energy in the space and as a deterrent from negative activities. Good users are: dog walkers, community events and festivals, personal events for residents, children

• There is ample fruit production in the summer from the plum trees that community members can partake in
• There is much support from EKNA, Councilwoman Sanchez’s office and many neighborhood businesses
• There are not too many problems with trash



WEAKNESSES
• Some dog walkers do not pick up after their dogs
• There are too many unattended children in the garden who cause problems
• The plums tend to rot on the ground and kids will throw them at each other
• The park is still trying to figure out its
identity on what it wants to be used for
• There is a major problem with drug use
and drug users in the park
• There is no signage for rules of the park
• There needs to be more of a community
member presence in the park through
use and events
• There has been problems with the
homeless in the past
• The park gets really dark and has
hidden spots where people can hide
• The rocks as borders has posed a
problem
• If no one was picking up trash there
would be more
• There is no dedicated water source, so
drought tolerant plants are needed
• Tables need to be secured down so they
can’t be moved

​
Objective: In this exercise we want to determine the natural happenings of your garden bed so that we can better select the plants to suit. Weather related. For example: How much sun does the garden bed get on average? Is there water access in case of drought? Does someone have the time to water garden bed if suffering from drought?



Maintenance dependant or weather independent. What is it now? What do you want it to be?
• The primary area of focus will be the perimeter beds that line the front end of the fence
• The Dauphin side gets heavy shade
• The Arizona side gets heavy sun
• There are no real drainage issues in the beds, however, due to barren grass spots and
heavy dog use, the grounds can become mud pits in the cooler months
• The small rocks should be removed from all of the beds because it makes it hard to
cultivate and weed the beds
• The irises can be removed and repurposed around the park
• The width of the beds can be expanded
• Not too wild about the lilac, it can be removed to make more room in the bed
• There is a huge need for tougher plants that can withstand children and drought, as well
as some heat
• There seems to be a need to take out the trees on the back end to create more space and
openness in the park
• Tree pits need to be mulched
• There is a desire for more fruiting plants to compliment the other edibles in the park as
well as attract pollinators like bees and birds
• There needs to be more seasonal interest in the park, especially in regards to winter and
fall interest
• There may be an opportunity for a planter on the outside of the fence to take care of the
cracked spots in the sidewalk
• It seems best to go with ornamental shrubs rather than meadow like perennials to create
some form to the garden and make it easier to clean and maintain