Category: Boston Green

Give a Neighborhood Tree a Drink

With the wilting heat we've had this season, some of Boston's street trees are looking very sad. On Marlborough Street, a number of Maples are so severely stressed that they are turning brown. Water may not be the only issue, but water will certainly help.

Trees Add Value

The good folks over at CURBED recently reminded us that trees add value to our lives in many ways. If you're like us, you've been a shade seeker as you've walked around the city this summer.

Trees shading your windows reduce the temperature inside your home. And, they add to your property value just by sitting there. So give a bit back to these excellent assets by taking the time to water your nearest street tree during hot weather.

Here's the guidance you'll need to adopt and care for a tree from the City Arborist.

And, if you really love your trees, you could give them some mulch and underplantings to keep the moisture in and people's feet off their roots. Someone did a nice job of protecting this street tree in the South End.

Just remember to keep new soil and mulch four inches away from the trunk of the tree so that it stays at the same level at which it was planted.

Related Posts:

Musical Tree Plays Many Tunes

How Does Your Street “Tree Pit” Grow? Let Her Count the Ways!

Where Is this Allée of Linden Trees?

Time for Dutch Elm Disease Watch

If you want to identify the trees around you, we highly recommend the guide book from David Allen Sibley.

This book is on a level with his fabulous bird guides.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

Toto the Tornado Kitten, Our Pick this Sunday!

Love Those South End Fences

North End Waterfront: Our Friday Link

August 14, 2012
Bass Fishing on the Charles River

All summer long, we've seen rods and reels along the Esplanade as anglers choose favorite spots for a major bass fishing tournament to be held on the Charles and Mystic Rivers in September. The B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, Eastern Division Championship will take place on the Charles and Mystic Rivers from September 12th to the 14th, 2012.

This bass, caught along the Esplanade canoeway, was too small to keep. After posing for a quick photo, it was returned to the river.

Perhaps the currents under the Mass Ave Bridge are a sweet spot for this angler.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon Everything You Need for Summer Fun and support this site!

July 23, 2012
Bass Fishing on the Charles River

All summer long, we've seen rods and reels along the Esplanade as anglers choose favorite spots for a major bass fishing tournament to be held on the Charles and Mystic Rivers in September. The B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, Eastern Division Championship will take place on the Charles and Mystic Rivers from September 12th to the 14th, 2012.

This bass, caught along the Esplanade canoeway, was too small to keep. After posing for a quick photo, it was returned to the river.

Perhaps the currents under the Mass Ave Bridge are a sweet spot for this angler.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon Everything You Need for Summer Fun and support this site!

July 23, 2012
Step On It – Boston’s Sidewalk Scavenger Hunt

Today we're linking to a WalkBoston event coming up on July 21st. You have one week to sign up and get ready.

Step On It – Boston's Sidewalk Scavenger Hunt is an opportunity for turning a walk with friends into an adventure in how much you really know about Boston.

You put together a team, check in at 2:20 pm on the 21st at the designated location, pick up your sheet of sidewalk clues, and set out to find 15 secret objects. By 4 pm, you return to the starting point to see if you've won and enjoy sharing hunt stories with other teams.

Full details here, then sign up here.

It sounds like a great way to enjoy a summer afternoon with friends in the city while becoming better acquainted with a great organization. WalkBoston is the one group that stands up for walkers, first and foremost, in this city.

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon – Get Ready for Summer – Everything You Need and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 13, 2012
How’s the Patient Doing? Air Spading Project Update!

Just as you might require further tests after a medical procedure, there is a Boston landmark park getting a follow-up health exam of its own. So, how’s the patient doing?

After undergoing a thorough air spading one year ago, a block of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall is beginning to show signs of recovery.

We had a chance to follow arborist Chuck Sherzi Jr., this spring, as he performed a series of tests to assess the health of this historic park between Mass Ave & Hereford Street. (map)

(Once the video starts, you can select the HD video option for higher quality viewing.)

Using Cornell University’s Soil Health Assessment guidelines, Sherzi demonstrated how he checks the physical, chemical, and biological condition of the soil with special emphasis on compaction– a major threat to this area. He stressed the need for turf management that includes: irrigation, mowing, reseeding, aerating, and a yearly top-dressing with compost, to help minimize the problem.

As we await analysis of all the data gathered, Sherzi told us he was encouraged by what he’d found during his day of testing. And, what’s more, he said results from this demonstration project will benefit not only parks like this, “but also smaller spaces, the backyard garden, commercial sites, among others.”

For a look at how this pilot restoration effort began, see the first video in this series: Air Spading a Boston Landmark.

If you are a serious gardener, parks advocate, or farmer, here are links to download copies of two publications that Chuck Sherzi recommends:

The Cornell Soil Health Assessment Training Manual

Building Soils for Better Crops: Sustainable Soil Management

To donate to this project or for more information, click this link to: Send an email to the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee @CommAveMall@verizon.net.

The Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee is a joint effort of the Friends of the Public Garden and the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay.

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon – Get Ready for Summer – Everything You Need and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny Cherubino
Videography: © 2012 Ed Cherubino
Written, Produced, and Narrated by Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers’ comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

July 5, 2012
Everyone’s Photographing the Big, Round, Giant Allium

In the Boston Public Garden and along the Greenway, we watched people stop to photograph the Giant Allium plants that have been blooming during the past couple of weeks. For a short time each year, these blooms add a pop of color and fun to the landscape.

Add a link to your favorite Allium photo in the comments section!

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon – Get Ready for Summer – Everything You Need and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 23, 2012
The Walking Bostonian, Our Friday Link

A very well presented report on MassDOT's meeting about the Bowker Overpass brought The Walking Bostonian blog to our attention. We instantly subscribed and are catching up on back posts.

On the about page, this description made us see a bit of a kindred soul in Matthew, the blogger.

"This blog is a place for me to write down some of my thoughts. I live in the city of Boston, MA and I work in the field of Computer Science. I use my two feet, augmented by mass transit, to get around. Although I am not an urban planner, I try to pay attention to the city around me, many parts of which we take for granted. I am attempting to figure out why some cities decline, why some succeed, and how we can help."

We live in the city, don't own a car, use our feet (goal of 10,000 steps a day), and the MBTA for most of our transport. We're also people who notice things, and we're walking advocates.

We don't understand why walkers are not given top priority in city planning. Hey, we are way less expensive and even more environmentally friendly than bikes!

There is a lot to think about and learn on the pages of the Walking Bostonian. Questions are raised, background information is supplied, throughtful options considered, and some interesting walks are mapped on Google Earth.

Related Posts: For our Friday Link collection click here.

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon – Get Ready for Summer – Everything You Need and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 22, 2012
The Boston Stinkers Are Blooming

We see readers popping in to read our posts about Boston's stink trees. And, we walked under this one in full bloom in the Back Bay. If you're seeing sidewalks covered in yellowish, green bloom debris that gives off a strong smell, you've found an Ailanthus.

For more information check our posts on the topic.

Boston's Stink Trees (Ailanthus) Are In Bloom

The Stink Trees are Back and….

And, to read what others think about them, click over to these conversations on Universal Hub. Adam Gaffin just loves to write headlines about these trees.

The Back Bay stinks

Return of the stink trees brings gasps of disgust, runny eyes to tony Back Bay

The stink trees of Boston are in bloom

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon – Get Ready for Summer – Everything You Need and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 16, 2012
Edible Boston Summer 2012 Issue is Out!

Just as I look forward to the local food each new season brings my way, I look forward to the new issue of Edible Boston for each quarter of the year. The new issue is out and is our Friday Link, today.

This is your alert to start looking forward to the Summer 2012 issue available at most of the local businesses that support this great publication with their advertising.

When my preview issue arrived, the first article I read was "Seta's Rules to Cook By," a feature on Chef Seta Dakessian. Many of you know her from her Seta's Mediterranean Foods stands at farmers' markets around Boston. You'll learn about Seta's background, food philosophy, and some of the rules this farm-to-fork chef sets for herself to achieve the wonderful balance you find in her food.

Publisher Ilene Bezahler said of this, her 25th issue, "I think it has solidified my transition from a magazine about food to a magazine about people and food. Food is the common denominator, of course, but the exploration into who produces our food, who has access to local food and where to find it seems to be as important as whether it tastes good or, for that matter, is good for us."

Also in this issue, you'll learn about: "Earth Mothers," a cover story on young female farmers; Everett's Nanobreweries; Feeding Boston, the growth of Boston Organics; and many more features, plus the tasty tidbits supplied by the regular columns.

How do you say thank you to a publisher like Ilene Bezahler and her remarkably talented team?

May I suggest that you: let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine, grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. And, if you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, that you write about them, link to them, follow them, retweet their tweets, like them on Facebook, and in general, spread the word about this great asset to our community.

And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can subscribe over on their website!

You can also buy the Edible cookbook! Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

June 8, 2012
Boston Hazardous Waste Collection Dates for 2012

The City of Boston has announced the 2012 Household Hazardous Waste collection dates with June 9, 2012 next on the list. It will be followed by a second collection date on June 30th.

June 9th, 2012 from 9am to 2pm

University of Massachusetts-Boston Harbor Campus, Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester (Map)

Saturday, June 30, 2012 from 9am to 2pm

West Roxbury Public Works Yard, 315 Gardner Street, West Roxbury (Map)

Here are highlights of the city's published guidelines from their Hazardous Waste page:

For a complete list of acceptable materials, download the flyer here.

For Boston residents only. No commercial waste will be accepted. Proof of residency required. The City reserves the right to reject materials. For more information call 617-635-4500.

TVs & Computer Monitors

TVs & computer monitors are NOT accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Days. Please call 617-635-4500 for home pickup of TVs and computer monitors.

Latex Paint

The city says, "*NEW* Latex paint is no longer accepted at drop-off days. Latex paint is not hazardous. Let latex paint dry out completely, then set it out with your regular trash."

Get rid of the junk, and then don't bring more of it back into your home.

Clean out under your sink, your cleaning closet, gardening shed, garage, and storage areas. Once your home is free from toxic, flammable, and other dangerous materials, learn how to avoid bringing more of this stuff back into your life.

Here are three great books to help you change your hazardous ways.

And, remember, when you start any of your Amazon shopping from here, you support BostonZest and keep information like this flowing your way.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Screenshot: From City of Boston website

June 6, 2012