Seriously treeboxes can be lots of fun when they are clean and well maintained. Unfortunately we all know that doesn't always happen. Here are a few shots of area treeboxes over the past few years.
One option is to plant your treebox. This can be popular with neighbors, and it's fun if you have a green thumb. This treebox in on Montello.
Or you could go with the wild look. This treebox is on H Street.
Sometimes people leave you some interesting gifts. This treebox is on Neal.
Occasionally they leave themselves. This gentleman found this K Street treebox to be the perfect place to sleep off a long night.
21 comments:
Does anyone know if there are any neighborhood initiatives by DC or private groups whereby you can get money to improve the treebox on your street? The boxes on my street have unsightly trees growing every which way. It would be great to remove them and start over -- but removal would cost alot.
From what I understand since the tree boxes are considered city property, you have to go through DC.gov to put in a service request to get a tree removed (which will take about 6 months) and once removed you will have to put in another service request to get a replacement planted (this will take another 6 months). In the meantime, I'd suggest just planting flowers.
Does anyone know where to have a iron tree box made in D.C.?
Whatever you do, don't call Suburban Welders - I think the guys name is Paul Ponzelli. Long story, but I constructed a lovely barrier around my tree box that wasn't iron. The guy from Suburban Welders stopped me one day when I was planting flowers and told me there was a fine for not having a regulation little iron fence around the tree box. He went as far as telling me that he was on some kind of task force to identify violators. He continued that if I contracted with him to put a regulation fence in on that day he'd only charge me $600, but if I decided later, the price would go up to $800. Scary, and I just noticed that the Hill Rag let him publish an article in their latest issue.
if you don't have a treebox in front of you house, there's always container gardening. i think inked posted one of those quite some time ago. i think it was on parker alley.
anyway, it struck me as pretty cool - particularly since i don't have a treebox near the house in which i live.
When I moved in the tree in the box in front of my house was dead. As anon 4:07 said, you have to put in a request to remove the dead tree and only after it is removed can you request a new tree.
The short version: It took about 16 months and about 40 calls to the DC's Urban Forestry Administration to get a new tree.
The long version:
I requested a dead tree removal on July 14, 2005 and was told there would be an inspection by Sept 5 and "resolution" by Dec. 29.
After I made a half dozen calls, it was inspected in November and scheduled for removal shortly. Because of the delay, they told me they would made an exception and schedule a planting for the spring (2006) even though it hadn't been removed.
After another dozen calls (including one where I was told that sometimes the crews told the agency that they did something when they actually hadn't), it was removed in March, at which point I was told that the spring planting season was over.
Another dozen or so calls more, and the new tree was finally planted in November 2006.
no one noted that this is the funniest post inked has ever penned. for shame.
I went out and bought my own tree and planted it. It was about 100 bucks and I saved myself the anguish and frustration of working within the system. If you go this route, make sure you plant a tree that the city would normally plant (red oak, etc.) and they won't know the difference. Considering all the illegal demolition, etc. that the city doesn't intervene with I highly doubt they'd be overly concered with a tree you illegally plant in your tree box.
I'm the 2nd post (Anon.4:07) and I'd have to agree with NPM and the amount of time it took him/her to get their tree issue resolved. Where theirs took about 16 months, mine only took about 12 because I took pictures of the dead tree and sent it to Tommy Wells' office saying the dead limbs were a liability to the city if they fell on one of the children playing on the sidewalk. It was then cut down in less than a month and the stump removed about two weeks later. I then put in the service request for a new tree which then took another 6 months, and here's where I would totally agree with "I violated the tree box law". For about $100, just go purchase a tree similiar to the others you see on your street and plant it anyway. This will reduce your wait time by about 6 months and they will never know the difference. In fact, whether they admit it or not, I'd be willing to bet the city would even appreciate it. I say we should all plant more trees!
Yes, I could have planted my own tree; in fact, the person I spoke to at Urban Forestry suggested it. (However, unlike Anon 4:07, I couldn't have claimed that the dead tree was a danger, since it was rather puny.)
But although it was frustrating, the total time and effort of calling was still a lot less than doing it on my own.
I agree NPM, due to the size of my tree, cutting it down and grinding the stump were not an option - or even paying someone to come do it seemed like something I would certainly be fined for. But for smaller trees, I'd say when possible, get rid of it yourself and then plant your new one.
Any suggestions for types of plants to plant in the tree box that would not require watering? I don't have a spigot in the front and it already takes about three trips to water all of the planters and pots in front of my house.
Wells, what direction does the front of your house face? That will make a difference. If its west (like mine), it will get very hot & dry in the summer and you will likely be making many watering trips.
All plants will require some watering and while I'm no horticulturest, I think there are many wildflowers that are more heat tolerant than others. Good luck.
Dwarf crepe myrtles and black eyed susans. They come back year after year and don't require any water. Tulips, that's another one.
Thanks Tree Box Advisor! What about zinnias? Aren't they pretty hearty? And sunflowers? But they can just about turn into a tree they get so tall. I think they would be a good alternative for someone waiting to have a tree planted in their treebox??
Thanks.
The house does face West, and gets plenty of sun in the summer. I will try the Black Eyed Susans.
that last picture is AWESOME!!! thanks for the afternoon chuckle.
dc for life!
Here's the story behind the photos:
Picture a) Cute little girl is cleaning out her tree box. She looks down the street to see...
Picute b) The out-of-control weeds in her neighbors' treebox. Her family moves down to clean it out when low and behold they find...
Picture c) The remains of her bike that she thought was stolen 6 months earlier! It was all too much for her dad, so ...
Picture d) He just fell out right there in the treebox on top the flowers his daughter had just planted.
End of story.
story behind the photos was hilarious
you should hav signed that one, anonymous!
Thanks Soul Searcher. I generally prefer to stay anonymous, but appreciate the comment.
Hey! Casey trees gives out FREE trees for you to plant in your yard. If you planted in your tree box, I doubt they would know the difference. However, I'm sure they'd be annoyed that we taxpayers get such bad service from the city, since their mission to to plant trees on PRIVATE property and they feel the city should take care of the city trees, which they often don't.
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