I
t’s just about high time we put the NOT into Japanese KNOTWEED. Join FOCT, FOW and friends as we do just that with a special midweek workday in the Quarry Rock Garden. We’ll meet next Wednesday, July 1st, 9AM at Mermaid Park in Chestnut Hill (between the flower shop and Mermaid Inn).
The Quarry Rock Garden is still very much in its “before” phase, but after all the work that’s gone into it so far — namely the cutting up and removal of deadfall, and cutting and pulling loads of invasive plants, the creation and upkeep of the Friends Loop — the canvas is beginning to take shape for the restoration work ahead. Making a second cut of the pervasive knotweed is an important step in getting it there.
Special thank you to Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s wonderful natural lands team, who are helping us plan specifically for Japanese knotweed, devil’s walking stick, and Chinese wisteria, while we contend with all the other invasives: trifoliate orange, multiflora rose, garlic mustard, amur honeysuckle, and more. While fighting invasive plants can feel like an uphill quixotic task, the existing native shrubs and trees in the space appreciate our efforts, and moreover, we’ll have a big planting this fall to get a jump on what we want to see there.
Start your fiscal new year off on the good foot and join us next Wednesday! Our next regularly scheduled monthly workday is coming Saturday, July 18th. Details to come.