Parking Lot Landscape Islands, what is the best approach?

[Jordan Lockman]

If it was “lollipopped” it was likely done in the nursery.

[Boilerplater]

Yeah, we ended up with that narrow strip as the property line is to the left of the lot, and there was a setback, then of course the standard dimensions for the spaces and lanes.  That was all there was room for.  It also greens up a grade change rather than having a retaining wall.  Any shrubs in a strip like that would be at risk of damage from cars and snow plowing.  I didn’t do the grading and had minimal input on the site plan.  This is what I had to work with.

[Boilerplater]

Here’s another option you might want to allow.  It’s dry-laid Belgian block with what was supposed to be a 1″ gap between them.  Joints are filled with granite fines, and I believe I specified 4″ of fines underneath.  You get plenty of infiltration with this kind of detail.  The trees were doing fine, but I really need to revisit this site as its been about 6 years since the photo was taken. I also specified new topsoil for the entire space under the blocks.  Can’t recall how deep.  This was…what do they call it of the soils maps?  Urban land complex?  So there was a lot of rubble and contaminants.

[Jordan Lockman]

It looks great, thanks for sharing the pictures. I have started to see more and more like what you are showing below with the pavers. These seem to be used in place of tree grates. Much more attractive and less damaging to the trees.

[Matt Fridell]

Nice detail.   Looks great.

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

What is the necessity of the additional hardscape made by the granite? It does not look like something nice to walk on in the event that it is necessary because of vast amounts of pedestrians. It looks like it was done just to avoid maintaining plantings or mulch.

 

Can we all agree that all parking area tree plantings suck and it is only left to decide what sucks less than another?

[Robot]

Some trees are “naturally” shaped like lollipops.  You know, like Bradford Pears.  I can’t tell what this tree is, though, so maybe you’re right.

[Boilerplater]

C’mon man.  Its Landscape Urbanism!  I set up a dialogue with the rough-hewn granite pavers and the smooth white concrete.  Can’t you sense the tension as the two elements fight for primacy, while the Ash trees, knowing they have the upper hand, lord over it all?  What do I care if its not nice to walk on?!  That’s what the sideWALK is for!

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

I’m not knocking you. You are the only person posting examples and that is great for discussion. Everyone should know by now that we can’t just do what is best in these circumstances. I’ve done a lot of parking lot trees and I sure don’t want to post a picture of any of them because they suck for the same reason – we are forced to do something while at the same time we are forced to do other things that inherently do not co-exist well. These are always designs of compromise and 90% of the negative influences are completely invisible to those seeing the final product.

 

I appreciate that you obviously own a pair in order to have them busted. Thank you for putting up the pics for discussion. … and taking it in stride with good humor.

[Steve Mercer]

That works great right up until the grass dies in the fall.  I pity the feller that has his car parked beside the island when some dipstick thows a well lit cigerete into that 6′ tall ball of gasoline called a ornamental grass clump.  At the very least the guy needs a new paint job on his car if not worse.

 

s.

[Steve Mercer]

I suspect this is just a strategy to get zoning appoval.  Later after the project is complete and the tree is dead, they quitely come back in an remove the Island to make room for more cars!  I have seen that done more than once.

 

s.

[Steve Mercer]

Most retailers don’t want big shade trees in the parkinglot.  What happens to a parking lot of cars with large shade trees shading the cars when a sudden bad storm pops up?  Lots of damaged cars and pissed off customers!

 

s.

[Steve Mercer]

I doubt they are grinding those western cedars just for mulch.  Most of them are sawed for lumber and the bark is debarked before sawing and turned into muclh. (they would other wise waste the bark what is the problem?)  I have never been a fan of Black hardwood muclh,  So companies mix charcoal with the mulch to get it black  (the eqvialent of dumping a triaxle load of Ag Lime in your landscape every year ( that blends right well with that pH 8.3 municipal water they are irrigating with don’t you think?)  Be sure to plant plenty of Azalea, Hydrangeas, and Cherry Laurel in those plantings.  Even if the just dye the mulch black… ten days later it is an UGLY grey.  And what does this mulch do the the feeder roots of the plants that  are planted under it on one of those 100+ degrees we seem  to be getting more and more of?  Ask those folks down in Texas right now that have black mulch in their landscape and no rain for say 1 year what their landscapes look like even if and that is IF the water police allow them to irrigate them.

[Steve Mercer]

yeah and the flip side of that here in Louisville last year (where it is the smoking capital of the US) was a resturant that had rubber mulch layed in the landscape around the building.  One stray cigerette butt caught the mulch on fire and burnt the resturant to the ground!

 

s.

[Jon Quackenbush]

which is common practice…

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