Top to bottom: Susan Samuelson with sign; plant ID event; Prairie Flax
Three years ago, 30-plus Ravenna neighborhood volunteers led by Susan Samuelson began restoring one of Seattle’s largest traffic circles. What started as a monoculture of English Ivy and a place for crime, drugs, litter and neglect has been transformed into a diverse, vital and beautiful landscape. Last weekend, a small celebration and plant identification session commemorated this remarkable transformation.
The first step was to remove the English Ivy – an invasive plant that dominated the 5,500 square foot circle. Next came a planting plan, put forth and then capably executed by neighbor George Macomber, a trained Native Plant Steward who also conducts restoration projects at nearby Ravenna Park. His philosophy as expressed at the event, was to plant primarily native plants, resulting in greater species diversity and a more resilient natural landscape. Once the plan was developed, and the plants purchased, then volunteers provided hundreds of hours of sweat equity. We pulled ivy, spread mulch, waited patiently, and then planted well over 1,000 individual plants of 65 different species. We improved a trail, and hauled off large quantities of organic debris that we often stashed in our individual compost bins. And we did all of this for $4,680, provided by a City Department of Neighborhoods matching grant.
Our collective efforts paid off. The circle now resembles a mini-botanical garden of native plants, shrubs, wildflowers and trees. Yes, there are a few non-natives grandfathered in, like the European Birch trees, Hawthorns and a Japanese Maple, but for the most part, this landscape showcases northwest native species, like (just to name a few):
Trees:
- Western Red Cedar
- Western Hemlock
- Garry Oak
- Pacific Madrone
Ferns:
- Sword
- Deer
- Lady
Ground cover:
- Kinickinick
- Oxalis
- Beach Strawberry
- Salal
Wildflowers:
- Oregon Sunshine
- Prairie Delphinium
- Two species of Penstemon
- Red Columbine
On a small scale, this traffic circle illustrates the art of the possible. Even in this oftentimes contentious world, neighbors can still come together, raise funds, and work physically hard to improve their neighborhood. Please DO try this at home!
