Terwilliger / North I-5 On-Ramp Park |
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Huh?Every Sunday morning from May through October for several years, I walked across the Terwilliger Bridge (over I-5, here in Portland Oregon) to catch a bus downtown to volunteer at the Visitor Information Center. There's a pedestrian underpass with stairways that go under the on-ramp to I-5, and up onto the bridge's sidewalk.
The nooks and crannies of the down/up stairway were variously landscaped, now mostly forgotten. The most neglected spot was a littered, weedy triangular pocket at the apex between Terwilliger Blvd and Interstate 5. Aside from picking up litter, I wondered what could be done for this island of urban blight. At home, the sunflower seeds scattered under our bird feeder sprouted, ruining our lawn. I thought maybe they might naturally grow there without much help.
Kim Stafford reflected on these 2015 — BeforeThe place was overgrown with blackberries, thistles, and 'velcro' vine.
2015 — ClearedI cleared the litter and vines. I scratched the dirt and broadcast seeds in the middle.That's a sprinkler control vault in the middle. I didn't disturb it.
2015 — sproutsI staked 'sunflower' labels down so people would know what was growing up.I found a sprinkler buried in that back corner.
2015 — Getting TallerThe ones toward the back grew taller for some reason - slope?
2015 — Water?The weather turned hot and dry, and in order to keep the seedlings alive, I was bound to take water to them! I delivered a dozen liters on bike from Time Haven, then rode over to the Community Garden on Barbur Blvd to refill my bottles, shown here. I suspected some people there thought I was a homeless camper, taking the water. I did this every few days. (Is water at a community garden Public water? Surely, just select the most public spigot.)
I had hoped that sprinklers built into the little park might automatically turn on during the summer, but they didn't. As mentioned, there is a control valve and a sprinkler in the park... so in late June, I inquired. QUERY: Who to call - sprinkler for Terwilliger Bridge stairwell greenery? ANSWER: I have forwarded your concern to the supervisor for street cleaning and greenspace maintenance for Maintenance Operations. This may require further investigation. RUMOR: ODOT is charged with maintaining the greenery around the Interstate bridge, to some degree. Perhaps the some part of the sprinkling system needs repair, or understandably, it's just not a priority. (Neighbor says it's been broken / off for years.) There are several other sprinkler heads in the larger Park that surrounds the on-ramp and base of the bridge. There is also a lot of space on the north side of the Freeway around the bridge and exits. 2015 — Ramp Closed Sign MessThe I-5 ramp was closed several weeks (at night) for some construction work, and the crew started using the park to stash the sign and barricades during the day. It got worse, but it seemed like some of the crew were sensitive to the little garden!
2015 — Other StoriesOne time I was over watering, when the infamous Svetlana stopped at the park to adjust her clothing and repack her bag. She asked if she could use my phone. She called some guy whom she described as having a black truck. Anyway, she wanted to connect with him for a ride, or something, and asked me how to direct him to where she was. I told her that it would be easier and safer to meet him over on Barbur Blvd at Baja Fresh. She said she just came from there. Svetlana was a little unstable, and later (?) was accused of setting a cedar hedge on fire that shut down Terwilliger Blvd and nearly took out power and phone lines!Another time I was over watering, when I looked up and there was Catholic Priest with a Nigerian (on foot) puzzling over a map. They wanted to get to St Clare Church. They were trying to visit all the Catholic churches or something. It was evening on a weekday. I don't think they had a mobile phone or church number to call. They had walked from downtown! I explained how they could get to the church by going on a foot trail and then through a park next to the freeway, coming out at/near Capitol Hill Elementary School, and then to the church across the street. They headed off. I watched and they balked at going into the woods and were looking again at their map, considering heading into the twisty SW hillside neighborhood. I'd never been on the foot trail, so I felt responsible for my speculative advice. I got in the car, drove to them, and offered to give them a ride to the church. At the locked up church, I told them how they could get back into town on a bus if they needed to. They thanked me. (I later checked the trail - it has 100-200 steps uphill! SW Trail #4.)
As I watered, I wondered how I might encourage others to bring water to the remote island.
It was hot and dry.
I cobbled together a Other things in the On-Ramp Park...The Park has a lampost, a railing, and potentially, water. That big rectangular sign is a RAMP SIGNAL ON sign (seen from backside). The lamppost had unused mounting brackets I thought I could use for a sign of some kind. (The brackets were for a temporary detour sign, for SW Trail #3, ending ~2015!)
2016 — BeforeMAY 24th.. Over the winter, the park grew mostly grasses and the velcro vines. One dead sunflower is still standing in the back, by a thistle. The field was so nice, I decided not to disrupt it, and started the sunflowers in 'pots' at home. Cynthia spotted a tall volunteer growing out of our carport gutter, so I recruited it too.The potted crop got root bound and stopped growing. I kept delaying the planting, waiting for cooler rainy weather. I visited the site and used a hatchet to plow up the soil just inside the railing. (This photo was taken standing at the railing. Looking down, you'd see plowed dirt.)
2016 — Planting DayJULY 15th. Finally, on Bastille Day, I'd had enough with our insane world and decided that would be the day.I decided I'd plant a single row just inside the railing, where anyone could water them from the sidewalk. In 2015, I'd sown the seeds in the middle, and then I had to climb around the railing to water the plants all the time. (No one else would do that!)
I didn't tell you, but I had collected seeds from a dry land sunflower growing at Farewell Bend in eastern Oregon, that I thought might have a better chance of surviving. But these aren't growing appreciably yet. One is at the Park, and 3 are at Time Haven. Curious. 2016 — Harness for the tall sunflowerI used nylon cord anchored to the RAMP ON signpost, and sisal rope tied to the railing to help keep the tallest sunflower from being blown over by wind.
2016 — July 19 and all OKWent by to check Park on way to have a sign laminated to mount on the lampost.
2016 —
July 19, evening, sign mounted on lamppost asking passersby to shed some water.
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