The Forest Patcher Lot Design to enhance our community treehouse project
$2,500 to $5,500
Volunteer + Professional
Best
Grantee
2017
Part Shade
This project fits into the larger plan of having five gardens next to the treehouse site. The other four gardens will be a rain garden, an herb garden, a butterfly garden, and an enabling garden for people of all abilities. The five gardens will complement the treehouse, a minimalist design promoting sustainable practices and green tech, to offer a horticultural therapy experience that stimulates mental and physical growth.
Tammy Black
Volunteer + Professional
Contractors, friends, family, volunteers, block club
Forest Patcher
Scrub Along the Fence
Single Lot
223 Manistique St, Detroit MI 48215
We measured the lot to find the perfect place for the design that would complement the treehouse. Then we had KGD show us where we could place the trees to be in line with the Forest Patcher Lot Design. Once we had an engineer come to our site, we amended the design to suite the future location of the treehouse and its wheelchair ramps.
Not really, but we did change the placement of the trees in the lot design to the front of our lot, and added flowering plants along the side of the lot to suite the treehouse.
Yes
Beautification, horticultural therapy, to promote sustainable practices
We acquired the land we needed through the DLBA. We worked closely with them and it went pretty smoothly. One of the main things you must do when a community group wants to buy land from the DLBA is show them what you are going to do with the property. We showed and explained to them how it would benefit our community, help to get rid of blight, and how we plan to maintain the property.
The skills we have gained from completing the project include how to plant trees and dig the right sized holes for the trees.
We plan to educate, engage, and enlist community members in our projects to empower our youth, support our seniors, and help our families with resources, information, and programs that strengthen the community. The kids wanted to get involved, so they helped dig holes and plant trees, and distribute tools where they were needed.
Apart from the DFC Mini-Grant we held a fundraiser where one could buy a plank of wood or a t-shirt and the materials of the funds would go towards building the treehouse that will sit adjacent to the Forest Patcher. If we did it again I would try to get the word out more, and get more people involved.
One of the challenges we faced was making sure we placed the lot design in the correct spot so that it would not be in the way of the installation of the treehouse, but still make a statement of beauty for our block. Another challenge was site prep, because it required removing large blocks of cement that had been in the ground for years. All we used were shovels to dig them up, and having extra volunteers to do this hard work helped. Several people had to work together to move some of the larger pieces of cement because one person couldn't move it themselves.
Keep the plants weeded and the grass cut every two weeks, along with watering.