My current position as ground supervisor is probably the most challenging job that I have had. The campus of the hospital covers four city blocks with one out lying building. Along with all the normal challenges of gardening, the microclimate of an inner city is even more of a challenge with a big puddle 10 blocks to the east called Lake Michigan. The effect this has on the temperature as well as the general meterological conditions is truly astounding. Don't get me wrong it is really great to have a temperature on average 10 degrees cooler in the summer and 10 degrees warmer in the winter than the surrounding areas but the down side is that on many occasions the sun will be shining 10 miles away and we are plowing snow.
The other great challenge is the soil the hospital is built on. Fill was dredged up and brought in to fill in part of the lake. Most of the soil is sand but as with any inner city lot when ever you dig you don't know how far down you will be able to go without hitting bricks, rubble, or the foundation of a building from the past.The number one priority there is to keep amending and try to get a good friable base to work with. Of course it is great for drainage but that also means a lot of supplemental watering.
The air in the city also causes a lot of stress on trees and shrubs. Gasoline fumes, carbon monoxide, disel fumes, dirt and dust stick to the leaves. A lot of the trees need to be replaced by the time they are 35 years old.The pollution and run off of oils from the roads are very detrimental. All and all the trees have it rough. Space is at a premium and parking lots, side walks, and roads leave very little open land for trees to spread there roots and buildings cast large shadows, fog as well as smog cut down on the light.
The effect of the weather takes it's toll on the hardscapes as well. Freeze and thaw cycles wreak havock on sidewalks, asphalt, and paved surfaces. The damage done by salt and ice melting products also are a costly factors in the maintenace of the hardscapes. The conditions of the hardscape is a big influence on how your garden looks because they are generally the frame in which your garden sits.
Even with all the challenges of the position I hold I never forget to pause each day and reflect on the fact that every day I get up and go to a job which is also my hobby. I know it is rough but somebody's got to do it. |
