Contours are a system for describing the topography of earth, for example, if the land rises or falls. Earthworks are manipulating these contours into a desired shape or form.
Fair and equal to all concerned.
To grow to a point of maturity or viability. A plant community or landscape has ‘established’ itself when it no longer requires consistent watering for survival.
Beginner: First landscape project
Intermediate: Has at least maintained a garden
Advanced: Neighborhood green thumb or master gardener
A Forest Patch is a lot that is on its way to becoming a forest. Forest Patches have woody growth — or small trees and shrubs—growing throughout the lot. Trees growing on the lot are at least 12 feet tall. If well managed, Forest Patches can become an amenity within the neighborhood, cleaning the air, providing shade, soaking up rainfall and snowmelt, and providing habitat. Conversely, if you wish to clear a Forest Patch and install a site design from the Field Guide, the woody debris from a Forest Patch could be good material to compost or to chip into mulch and use on your lot.
Forest Patches are areas of Detroit where the tree canopy coverage exceeds 10,000 square feet. In these areas the tree canopy extends beyond street trees and has the potential to provide a higher level of ecosystem services, such as cleaning air, increased stormwater benefits, or habitat for birds and other wildlife. Within the City of Detroit, forest patches make up 23% of the city’s tree canopy. These areas are excellent location to expand the existing tree canopy within the city.
Smells wonderful
A Fresh Demo lot is one where a building has recently been removed. Fresh Demos are recent, and require the least amount of preparation of the lot types. This lot type will be relatively level, have very little (unwanted) plant growth occurring and will also be topped off with a few inches of high (nutrient) quality soils, which is currently required as part of the demolition site finishing process.