E-Newsletter

Field Guide Winter 2019 Newsletter

February 17, 2019

Happy New Year!

The Working with Lots Program has some great projects and new opportunities for Detroiters this year, and we’re excited to share them with you!

Working with Lots Request for Proposals:

For three years, Detroit Future City has provided grant dollars to groups in Detroit through the Working with Lots Grant Program. Funds are provided to groups to install lot designs from the Field Guide to Working with Lots.

In 2019, we are excited to announce a new opportunity for Detroiters to leverage. Recognizing that grantees consistently choose nine popular designs, we are requesting proposals from Detroit groups to implement eight never-before-installed designs that are exciting, colorful and transformative. Of those eight designs, two are new lot designs that we introduced this year!

Grant awards will range from $5,000 to $20,000 to implement one of the following eight lot designs:

Commercial Curtain
Forest Patcher
Hedge Fund
Holland Maze
Mounds of Fun
Organic Bowl
Perennial Propagator
Storm Soaker

To learn more, attend our next information session today, Thursday, January 24th at 3 p.m. or follow us on Facebook to watch our live feed from the first information session.

Visit the Working with Lots page to learn more about this grant opportunity.

Proposals are due February 18th by 11:59 p.m.

All interested parties must attend an office hour session by February 15th.

Before your office hour appointment, you should make sure to have the following:
  • Knowledge of the specific lot design you are submitting a proposal for.
  • Initial ideas outlined for the proposal responses.
  • Soil test results (if a test was conducted).
* You must be a non-profit or have a fiduciary before submitting your proposal.
* You must own the lot you are looking to install a design on or have written permission from the landowner to do so before submitting your proposal.
Two New Lot Designs!

We’ve just unveiled two new designs, the Perennial Propagator and the Storm Soaker Lot Design.

The Perennial Propagator Lot Design features perennial plants that quickly spread and can be easily divided.This lot design is a great fit for anyone looking to build a regenerating neighborhood resource where plants can be divided and shared among a community.

This perennial farm of sorts can grow over time and be used to help beautify a neighborhood.

The Storm Soaker Lot Design is a design born of our experiences with 2018’s Working with Lots Stormwater Credit Track grantees. It is a high-performing, large rain garden that manages stormwater runoff from commercial and other non-residential properties.

The size and details can be modified to suit existing site conditions. The planting design brings beauty to your site while providing stormwater performance and ecological benefits.

The Storm Soaker Lot Design project requires quite a large time commitment as you move through site assessments, contracting, permitting, etc. but the final result and potential DWSD credit will be worth it!

The Workshop Series

DFC is pleased to announce a new opportunity for Detroiters to build their capacity and strengthen their skills. We are hosting a workshop series to support residents and groups interested in growing their knowledge and skill in green projects. We are developing a series of workshops focused on plants, placemaking, and lot maintenance.

All eight workshops are open to the public and run from March 2019 to February 2020!

Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram so you don’t miss out on the dates and details.

Winter Gardening Tip:

If you noticed any trees that need pruning in your yard this past year, this winter could be the best time to prune them.

The dormant season is when you’ll want to prune most deciduous shade trees. Watch this video for basics on pruning trees.

The Arbor Day Foundation has some excellent videos on tree care, including pruning here, and year-to-year guides on pruning and pruning techniques here.

If you are curious about the best time to prune other plants in your garden, including evergreens, flowering and non-flowering shrubs, fruit trees, and perennials check out this guide.

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