This is how this section of Marrickville Road looked before these 2 Tulip trees were removed
This is how the same section of Marrickville Road looks now.
In March 2012 I wrote about the removal of 2 Tulip street trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Marrickville Road shopping strip – http://bit.ly/PnZrsW. Marrickville Council said they had to remove the trees because, “Civil works are required to upgrade the stormwater system, which incorporates construction of a large diameter pipe to alleviate flooding, & repair of the adjacent footpath.” They also said they would replace the trees with 2 other Tulip trees, but not when they would do this.
Last week I saw that the works had finished & Nandinas had been planted, but no street trees. There are 5 Nandina plants in one verge garden & 6 in the other.
This section used to be quite attractive. The 2 Tulip trees offered lovely dappled shade in summer. There was a bench seat, plus a hedged garden around the trees filled in with Bird of Paradise plants (Strelitzia). This effect was repeated directly across the road so visually we were treated to a much-needed burst of green reaching 3-storeys high on either side of Marrickville Road. This was the leafier end of Marrickville Road & to me, looked much nicer due to the presence of the trees.
Perhaps Marrickville Council will plant replacement trees during the 2013 planting season or perhaps this is how it will remain.
A row of Nandinas in the middle of a verge has also been planted in the verge near the corner of Addison & Illawarra Roads Marrickville. It comes down to personal taste, but to me, these are very uninspiring plants, especially when surrounded by woodchip. I understand why they are used as they are incredibly tough plants.
This is the newly planted verge garden on Addison Road Marrickville. It too has 6 Nandinas in a bed of woodchip. The 3 planter boxes further along the footpath were planted out by the newsagent here who continues to look after them.
5 comments
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August 15, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Steve
Argh the McDonalds/KFC plant of choice. Marrickville Council, you’re killin me!
August 15, 2012 at 5:27 pm
brenda
The tulip trees that were removed looked very healthy and big. I am not sure where they went but I do so hope they were moved to another area instead of destroyed.
I know the council is doing a lot to beautify the LGA and I like seeing more street gardens/verges, etc but please, please can we have more street trees?
They really make an area welcoming, shoppers happy, and help to create a pleasant ambience for all. They provide good shade, etc.
August 17, 2012 at 10:58 pm
Saving Our Trees
Thanks for your comment Brenda. Sorry to say that the two Tulip trees were chopped down & would have been made into woodchip for Council to use on their garden beds.
August 16, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Kate
Most of the Nandinas at the corner of Illawarra Rd & Addison Rd are dying after only a couple of months.
August 17, 2012 at 8:27 pm
Kristina
It’s great that Marrickville Council took care of the street plumbing. But the replanting is terrible!!! What are these nandinas??!! They look like ‘nothing plants’. No colour, hardly even any green! If this is council’s idea of creating an urban forest then actually, I’m left dumbstruck.
And it doesn’t look like there is much space to replace the promised tulip trees.
The difference between the council verge & the newsagent’s planting boxes is pretty telling. It sure supports your ideas (Jacqueline) of having businesses ‘owning’ or sponsoring green spaces outside their shops. (I think you write about this in your ‘Tree planting ideas’?). However it is not very encouraging to businesses or residents if council plants so poorly.
Thank goodness there have been some better verges planted by council as well as some tree plantings. But I don’t really understand why these areas have been left so barren.