Matthews Avenue Triangle Landscape Rehabilitation

A Project by UW students in EHUF 481: Field Practicum in Plant Management and Selection (Fall 2001)

This quarter, our students are working on a triangular property at the south intersection of Matthews Ave NE and Sand Point Way. This land started out covered with weeds, including Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), and hedge bindweed/morning glory (Calystegia sepium), along with a few native cattail (Typha latifolia). A drainage ditch runs through the site, carrying water from Thorton Creek and surrounding neighborhoods to nearby Lake Washington. In the past, the site was mowed once or twice a year, but otherwise left alone. Neighbors had planted and maintained trees, but these were mowed down earlier this year by an inexperienced city employee. The neighbors requested our help in creating a more sustainable site. Our students decided to remove the weeds from the waterway, then plant the site with a variety of species native to the Puget Sound region and adapted to site conditions. By increasing plant diversity, the students hoped to create a more functional wetland.

Below are pictures of our weekly work parties. Click on any picture to see a larger version of the image.

Project Update (2003)

In spring 2003, we revisited the site because the weedy invaders were again taking over the site. We re-assessed our strategy and brainstormed ways to keep the weeds down better. We noticed that the majority of the upland plants had survived, and the wetland plants did far better on the south side of the stream than on the north. After analyzing the situation, we decided to again remove the weeds, install more plants (planting more densely this time), and add a thicker layer of mulch. We will continue to monitor the site and adjust our management strategies as needed. Pictures of the 2003 work parties are below.