May 01, 2009
Send a picture of your right-of-way garden, along with information on where it’s located and who’s involved, to Omaha by Design at info@omahabydesign.org or c/o University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68182-0402.
They work alone and in groups, sometimes noticed, sometimes not. Mulch, trowels and pruning shears are the tools of their trade. They take pride in their city, and they’re willing to step beyond the boundaries of their personal property to demonstrate it.
“They” are Omaha’s right-of-way gardeners, the dozens who toil on traffic islands and create beauty in the public spaces between the city’s sidewalks and streets. Omaha by Design recognizes the collective efforts of this grassroots group by honoring it with the 2009 Green Leaf award.
The Green Leaf is presented annually to an individual, organization or business that has worked to preserve and enhance the metropolitan area’s natural setting and public park system. Past recipients include The Gallup Organization and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners.
“Individuals can make a difference in the green life of our city, and Omaha’s right-of-way gardeners remind us of what’s possible when people make a conscious decision to do something about their surroundings,” said Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design.
A few examples of Omaha’s right-of-way gardeners:
- A group of homeowners along a two-block stretch of Leavenworth Street between 55th and 57th have reclaimed the public space between the sidewalks and the street. The resulting bursts of color and greenery add to the neighborhood’s welcoming atmosphere.
- Fred Nielsen, an honorary member of the Leavenworth Neighborhood Association (LNA), spends countless hours tending the “triangle” garden at the intersection of Leavenworth Street and St. Mary’s Avenue across from Jackson Elementary School. He waters, maintains the plants and feeds the feathered crowd that gathers at the bird houses installed several years back. Many have contributed to the garden’s vitality over the years, including one LNA member who mows, aerates, fertilizes and winterizes the grass. Annuals are planted by students who attend Camp Fire USA’s after-school program at Jackson.
- The Metcalfe-Harrison Neighborhood Association has reclaimed “The Peanut,” a figure 8-shaped traffic calming structure on the edge of Metcalfe Park. The group has launched a fund-raising project that will replace the structure’s grassy area with draught tolerant, sustainable landscaping.
- The Clairmont Heights Neighborhood Association has reclaimed the traffic islands at the convergence of Fontenelle Boulevard, Northwest Radial Highway and Military Avenue. One of the islands is home to a historical marker dated July 23, 1910, which commemorates the site of the first airplane flight in Omaha and Nebraska.
- The Montclair/Trendwood/Parkside/Georgetowne Neighborhood Association has reclaimed the traffic islands that serve as entrances to its neighborhood, planting them with perennials and low-maintenance shrubs.
The 2009 Green Leaf will be on display at the Neighborhood Center, 115 S. 49th Ave., until the first day of fall. In conjunction with the award, Omaha by Design wants to collect the stories of Omaha’s right-of-way gardeners. “Send us a picture of your right-of-way garden, and let us know where it’s located and who’s involved,” Spellman said. This information can be sent via email to info@omahabydesign.org or by mail to:
Omaha by Design
c/o University of Nebraska at Omaha
6001 Dodge St.
Omaha, NE 68182-0402
Pictures and information can also be dropped off at the Neighborhood Center.
For more information about the 2009 Green Leaf, contact Spellman at 402.554.4010 or info@omahabydesign.org