November — Urban Greenspace Maintenance

“Autumn… the year’s last, loveliest smile.” — William Cullen Bryant

November brought to the gardens a host of volunteers, some cooler temperatures, and a beautiful fall foliage display.  

Below are pictures taken at our newest installation at the Hotchkiss Green.  The plants are not quite a year in the ground and already the impact is apparent.

Left: Itea “Little Henry’ Right: The red stems of redtwig dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Farrow’) create eye catching color in the rain garden

Panicum ‘Shenandoah’ assuming the reds and bronzes of fall

Throughout the month, volunteers worked tirelessly to tidy up the Low Line Gardens. With the cooler temperatures we see the appearance of “winter” weeds, which are plants that enjoy cooler temperatures and shorter daylight hours. The usual suspects include chickweed, henbit, bittercress and this year the strawberry has run rampant. Our management strategy is to remove the weeds before they go to seed, reducing the seed bank for the following year. All the weeds mentioned except for the strawberry are annuals. This means the existing plant will die completely. Any new plants that appear next year will come from seed.

Thanks to the countless hours worked by the volunteers the gardens continue to provide hours of enjoyment to the visitors of the Virginia Capital Trail.

A volunteer enjoying the refreshments provided by Capital Trees Community Engagement Manager, Jesse Palma. A small thank you for their dedication to the Low Line Gardens.

Bulb Planting at Hotchkiss Green:  Volunteers planted over 400 daffodil bulbs around the perimeter of the pollinator berm. Also planted were several hundred of the Lovely Lynden daffodils which came from the Low Line Gardens. The Lovely Lynden was a new introduction in 2019 and named for Lynden Miller, acclaimed public garden designer, Daffodil Project Co-Founder, and New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) board member  

“It was announced at the Daffodil Breakfast by Brent and Becky’s Bulbs of Gloucester, Virginia, and Capital Trees of Richmond, Virginia. They named the newly registered daffodil the “Lovely Lynden” in appreciation of Miller’s work to “beautify our world and the City of New York, for her glorious gardens, inspired beautification of public spaces, and dedicated teaching.”   

New Yorkers for Parks Newsletter  – April 29, 2019

It is always special when the story and bounty of one garden can be shared with another.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers from Capgemini and several of our “regular volunteers”  users of the Hotchkiss Green and the Hotchkiss Field Community Center will enjoy the addition of several picnic tables. Never a truer statement than “it takes a village.” We cannot say enough good things about the individuals and the groups that make this all possible. In this season of giving thanks, thank you for all that you do for our community.

Not sure where to start when it comes to taking care of your own plants, trees, and shrubs? Our volunteering opportunities are a great way to learn how to care for landscaping. You’ll take home new knowledge that you can put to use in your yard.

November — Featured Trees Seasonal Update

Black gum trees at the Hotchkiss Green showing full fall color.

Throughout 2025, we’ll be documenting the black gum tree, Nyssa sylvatica, which is planted at many of our urban greenspaces. This native tree is one of our favorites, hence its wide use. It offers interest every season of the year — shiny green leaves in the summer, brilliant reds, yellows, oranges and purples in the fall, and architectural structure in the winter.

Important for our purposes, black gum trees thrive in a variety of growing conditions making it suitable for planting in urban soils. They are tolerant of drought, heat, and both dry and wet soils. Typically, in cultivated conditions, the tree matures at 20-30 feet in height with a 1-2 inch diameter trunk. Because it’s native, it supports a variety of wildlife including mammals, birds, and insects.

You can learn more about black gum trees here.

November — “Spotted At”

Spotted! New Capital Trees t-shirts available for purchase to celebrate our 15th anniversary of cultivating vibrant public greenspaces. The vibrancy of our gardens is mirrored in the available colors, and the shirts are high-quality, 100% ringspun cotton with a heavy weight and soft feel. A portion of t-shirt sales will come back to Capital Trees to help us continue our vital work — and each time you wear your new shirt you’ll help more people learn about our nonprofit. Available in long and short sleeve, five colors, and featuring two of our core messages. Shop here: bonfire.com/store/capital-trees