Outdoor Facilities

Plants

Most native groundcovers are going to take some effort to establish in the full sun of our lot. We may be better off just ceding some of it to the weeds and trying to pick and choose which weeds we let take over.

A true train garden requires a roughly 10x20 area dug 4' down, which is not a short term project. Plants like pawpaw trees and elderberry bushes are good for water management.

Short term (Spring 2024)

"Side" areas (next to shed, edges of lot near school) - mulch and spread Yarrow - a native flowering plant which is pretty much maintenance free

"Placeholder" areas - under the net, nearby areas where we just want mud control but might use soonish - mulch and spread white clover. It's not native but it's cheap and offers a few benefits while being relatively low maintenance. It won't withstand much traffic though.

"Wild" areas towards the back - turn our weed foes into friends. Pick a week (pokeweed is native) and let it choke out the stuff we don't want.

Anywhere we don't want things to go we need to mulch and then walk / drive over regularly. Maybe a path around the back?

Strategically placed bigger stuff - pawpaw and elderberry, in front of Garbage Mountain to hide it some, maybe also some in the picnic area?

Medium Term (2-3 years)

Establish a rain garden in a low lying part of the property

Create a berm along the train track line with logs + displaced soil from rain gardens

Long term

Work with a pro / the city to come up with an entire site water management plan

Parking

We currently have a gravel parking area for roughly 10 cars. Long term we would like to move it to the back of the lot.

Bathrooms

Need to price out port-a-johns

Seating

Picnic tables?

Lighting

Possible options for flood lights:

Superior Lighting 4800 Lumens ~ $200

Superior Lighting 13,000 Lumens - dusk to dawn only - ~250

Vevor 1900 Lumens ~$100

Outdoor Solar Store - 2200 Lumens ~ $350